Gregor and the Hidden Prophecies
by Fallen Ark Angel
Summary: Gregor goes back to the Underland six months after he left, and is shocked by what he finds.
1. Chapter 1

**I have not written an Underland fic in about six months. I deleted my other one because there was no way that I was ever going to do anything with it. But I hated the thought of not trying one last time to write a good Underland story so I have decided to write this. I haven't read these books in over a year so right now Wikipedia is the only thing helping me.**

Gregor and the Hidden Prophecies

Chapter 1

"You should be quiet." Gregor whispered. "You don't want to get caught."

Lizzie jumped. "Gr-Gregor?"

"Yes?"

Lizzie turned to face her brother. She was standing in kitchen, getting batteries and flashlights. "Are you going to tell?"

Gregor lifted up his own backpack. "What do you think?"

The eight year old smiled. "So you're going too?"

Gregor nodded. "Ready?"

"You're going to let me go?"

Gregor shrugged. "We'll have to go back home eventually but…for now, sure."

"Can we take boots?"

Gregor closed his eyes. "I don't think we should. Mom would flip."

"Yeah but she's going to get upset that we didn't take her." Lizzie warned.

The boy sighed. "I know but we shouldn't take her."

"It's not fair Gregor!"

"Lizzie-"

"It's not fair!"

"Okay, okay, shut up. I'll take her. Happy?"

"Yes."

The boy sighed, walking back into the bedroom where his youngest sister slept. It was hard going into that room, knowing that his grandmother had slept in that room before she past. It had been six months now since the 12 year old had been to the Underland. Now that his grandmother had passed, they were going to be moving in two weeks. Gregor wanted to go back to the Underland one last time before he was forced to put it into his past forever.

"Boots." The boy whispered, picking up his sister. "Boots."

Boots opened her eyes slowly. "Breakfast?"

"No." Gregor walked out of the room carrying her. He walked into the living room, where his other sister was waiting for him. "Ready?"

Lizzie took a deep breath before nodding. "Yes."

Gregor opened the front door, backpack on his back, Boots in his arms, with Lizzie following. Should he be doing this? Things were so hard in now for his mom. Them leaving could kill her…not that he cared. She _knew_ where he wanted to be but she kept him here. This was pay back. They walked to the washroom and Gregor sat Boots down. Gregor had pulled back the grate that his mother had nailed down yesterday. He had been planning for a long time to do this. It wasn't until her heard Lizzie, the quiet, afraid, one willing to do it that he forced himself to go. Gregor stuck his in and looked down. His hair moved as the currents traveled downward.

He looked at his sister. "I'll go first."

Lizzie nodded. "Okay."

Gregor picked up the toddler and jumped down the grate, his eight-year-old sister right behind him. So started their descent into the Underland. After the fall ended and they landed on the ground, Gregor looked around.

"Gregor?"

"Yeah Liz?"

"You do know the way…don't you?"

"Of course." Gregor closed his eyes and clicked his tongue. The sound waves bounced off the tunnel walls. He had been practicing his echolocation since he left. Part of him knew that he would come back eventually and know why was he going to let Ripred get him cornered in a dark room. "Don't you know?"

"No! Can we just go?"

"Yeah." Gregor started walking as Lizzie started to look in her bag for a flashlight.

"Wait up Gregor!"

The boy sighed, waiting for his sister. Lizzie glared at him, slightly angry at him. Gregor smiled at her. "Sorry. I'm in a hurry."

"Why? We'll probably be down her for awhile."

"What makes you say that?" Gregor was truly just making conversation.

"Mom will probably know that we came down here but Dad may not let her come get us."

Gregor shook his head. "I bet that by tomorrow, we'll be home and grounded."

"I don't get grounded!"

"Yet."

The eight year old sighed. "Are you…scared?"

"Of what?"

"Moving."

Gregor thought for a moment before speaking. "No, not scared. Do I want to move? No but what choice do we have?"

"Well…we can refuse to go back home! They can't force us!"

Gregor was shocked by his sisters' sudden rebelliousness. It was a trait that he didn't realize his sister had. "That wouldn't be right Liz."

"Yeah. I know. But I don't want to leave!"

The boy shook his head. "Let's just stop talking about it and have a good day to day."

"Fine."

"Gregor." Boots yawned. "We eat?"

"No. Maybe we can when we get to Regalia." Gregor smiled. "Maybe you can even see Temp. You remember Temp."

"Yes! We see Temp."

Gregor chuckled a little at Boots eagerness. "I'll talk to Luxa about it. And, of course, we'll see Hazard too."

"And Ripred!" Lizzie added.

Gregor sighed, like he didn't want to see the rat. "I suppose we could…"

"Of course we will! Or I will at least. He'll probably get mad at you for not practicing your echolocation."

"I have to practiced!"

"Sure Gregor." He sister said with a smile. "Isn't it weird that we haven't seen anyone yet?"

"Nah, they're probably all busy." Gregor said with a forced laugh. It was weird. He figured that he would at least see a scout of something but he saw no one. He tried to shake the feeling that something was wrong but he couldn't. Did something happen? Or was he just being paranoid?

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	2. Chapter 2

Gregor and the Hidden Prophecies

Chapter 2

"Gregor, are you sure that we came to the right place?"

The boy looked around. They walked out of the tunnels and into the arena. The sight took him slightly by surprise. There were Gnawers everywhere, lounging around, just…hanging out.

"Yeah. Luxa made peace with the Gnawers, remember? Let's go." They walked forwards, walking past as all of the Gnawers stopped what they were doing to watch them.

"And where do you think you're going?" A brown Gnawer asked, walking up to them. "You're the warrior right? To late kid. They lost."

"What are you talking about? Gregor asked, stopping. He looked at the Gnawers, hoping to see a familiar face. "Why are all of you here? Is Luxa letting you stay for awhile?"

Apparently the rest of them found that funny because they all started laughing at them. Lizzie took a step closer to her brother.

"Luxa?" The big rat looked around at the others. "How long has it been since that brat has ordered us around?"

Gregor's stomach started flip-flopping. Something was right here. "I-I want to speak with Ripred."

That got another round of laughs. "Ripred the boys says! We must get Ripred for the little warrior!"

Gregor looked at Lizzie. "Run!"

They took off, since Gregor knew that there was no way that these Gnawers were on their side. The big rats made no notion to stop them, though they did taught them the whole time. Once Gregor thought that they were deep enough into the tunnels to stop, he held out his hand. Lizzie stop next to him, panting.

"Gregor…I don't think that those guys were joking. Something happened to the others!"

The teen nodded slightly. "Yeah…we've got to find the others."

"But how?"

Gregor sighed, leaning against the wall of the tunnel. Maybe he should take his sisters home…but how? The currents didn't travel upwards! He defiantly should have thought this out more.

"We've got to find them."

Lizzie shook her head. "We don't even know where to look!"

The ex-warrior sighed. "They have to be around here somewhere."

"Gregor, the Underland is huge!"

"No see Temp?" Boots asked.

Gregor shook his head. "No. Look, Liz, I know that you want to help out but I've got to get you and Boots home. I just have to find a way to that stairway that leads to the park."

"I don't want to go!"

"Well you are."

"Says you!"

"Lizzie, think about it. This is dangerous."

"So? I want to know what happened to Ripred!"

"You're worried about me, are you?" A voice said from somewhere in the darkness. "Well I'm just fine."

"Ripred!" Lizzie ran off towards the voice before her older brother could stop her. "What are you doing here?"

Ripred snickered as Gregor walked towards him, right behind Lizzie. "Just looking around. Trying to think of a plan. I'm guessing that you guys went to the arena first?"

Gregor nodded as Lizzie got on Ripred's back. "What happened? It was full of Gnawers."

The Gnawer sighed. "There was a war. The Gnawers had the trust of the humans and used it to their advantage. The humans weren't prepared."

Gregor gulped. "A-Are they okay?"

"The ones that survived." The rat sighed. "I suppose that you want to see them."

"Yes." Gregor nodded.

Ripred smiled. "So…do your parents know that you have come to save the Underland or are they still in the dark."

"We left so that we could say goodbye." Lizzie worked her way back into the conversation. "We're moving."

"Yeah, do you know any way to get Lizzie and Boots back home?"

"Why?"

"I don't want them in this!"

"It's too late overlander. They're here now, and they're staying."

"But it's dangerous!"

"Not if we're safe." The peacemaker stated. "Now, are you ready to go see the humans?"

"Yes." Gregor switched Boots to the other arm. She's getting heavier. "Where are they?"

"Not far." Ripred told him. "Some of them are only an hour's walk."

"Some?"

"They have split off into groups."

"A-Are Luxa and Mareth in the hour away group?"

"No. They are much further away. That boy though…Howard, he's in the group."

"Why are they split up?"

"Different views. The war with the Gnawers had already taken it's toll and then when they invaded, they blamed your little girlfriend. Those who still follow her went one way while the others chose a different way."

"Howard blames Luxa?"

"Yes, very much so."

"But they were starting to get along!"

"Things change."

"But it's only been six months!"

The rat started to walk off, Lizzie on his back. Gregor sighed and followed after him.

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The people looked up as Gregor walked by. Some muttered curses under their breath, about how he should have been there to defend them. Others cheered, thinking that he was there to save them. He followed Ripred as they walked towards a tent set up at the end of the place they had decided to stay. They walked in.

"Ripred, we were not expecting you for-" The man talking cut himself off. "An Overlander?"

"Not just any Overlander. I believe you know him as the warrior."

"This is the warrior? He looks...different than I remember."

"It's defiantly not that he got more muscular." Ripred looked around. "Have you had any contact with the others?"

"You mean the ones that follow Queen Luxa? No."

Gregor felt the urge to speak up. "Where are they?"

The man looked at him. "We believe that they went to the jungle. Not sure though."

Lizzie climbed off Ripred's back. "Is Heronian here?"

"No Lizzie." Ripred said, not even looking at her. "You and the pup go away for awhile."

"You mean Boots?"

"Yes. The child."

Gregor sat Boots on the ground and she and Lizzie left. He looked at Ripred. He listened to him and the man go back and forth on some topics before asking, "Are we going to the jungle?"

"I'm not. As for what you do, that's your business."

Gregor glared at the rat but looked over at the man. "Are there any fliers that would take me and my sisters to the jungle?"

"Hmmm, I am not sure. You can ask around though."

Gregor nodded and walked out, leaving the two to keeping arguing over attack plans. He was walking around, looking for his sisters when someone called out for him.

"Overlander!"

He turned and saw Howard rushing towards him. He smiled, though he didn't like Howard at the moment. How could he blame Luxa? "Hi Howard."

Howard smiled back. "I was told that the warrior was here. I had to see it to believe it."

Gregor got an idea. "Hey, Howard, would you mind if you had Nike and some others take us to the jungle?"

Howard's smile disappeared. "You want to find the others?"

"Yeah." Gregor admitted. "Can you guys take us?"

"Gregor, I do not think that you should be bothered with them."

Gregor held his tongue, not wanting to argue with Howard. "Did the Gnawers take over in the Fount too?"

Howard looked away. "Yes. My family was killed in the fight."

Gregor closed his mouth. "I-I'm sorry."

Howard nodded. "It's fine. You did not know."

It dawned on Gregor that that was the reason that Howard blamed Luxa. She was the only one that he could blame. But Gregor kept his mouth shut on the subject. "Lizzie and Boots are here too. We really need to get to the jungle. Will you take us? I understand if you don't want too."

Howard closed his eyes, as if thinking. "Yes, I will take you. We will need another flier. I will have Nike ask if any others wish to go with us."

"Okay, thanks."

"Meet me back here in an hour."

Gregor nodded, walking off. Now all he had to do was find his sisters.

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	3. Chapter 3

Gregor and the Hidden Prophecies

Chapter 3

"I am Agron." The Flier nodded it's head at Gregor.

"Hi, I'm-"

"I know who you are. I am not foolish." The bat looked at Howard. "I am to take him and the other two?"

"Yes, if you can handle it."

"What do you mean _if?_ Do you not think that I can handle mere Overlanders?"

Howard seemed to get uncomfortable. "Well, it's just that you have not shown yourself worth of a task such as this."

Gregor looked at the Flier before him. Agron was a crimson red with black lines running across his back. Gregor felt weird, standing there as Howard basically told the Flier that he wasn't trustworthy.

"Let me remind you, I am doing this as a favor." Agron looked at Nike. "If it was not for her, I would have no desire to carry around an Overlander."

Nike, who had been entertaining Boots, seemed flustered at the male bats comment. "Well…shouldn't we get going?"

"Yeah just let me find Li-" Gregor was cut off.

"Gregor! Guess what?" Lizzie ran up to the group. "I found Vikus and he wants to talk to you."

"Vikus?" Gregor looked at Howard. "I thought that he would go with-"

Howard interrupted Gregor. "He was still very weak and was not able to be taken from here. Luxa decided that we could take better care of him."

Gregor nodded slowly. It didn't really shock him that Luxa had decided that. She has had a life full of hard decisions. That one was probably a no-brainer. "I'll go see Vikus and then we can leave. Can you watch Boots Nike?"

"Sure." Nike looked down at the girl who giggled.

"Do you have Temp?" She asked Nike as Gregor walked away, Lizzie leading the way.

"Are we going to find Luxa?" Lizzie asked.

"Yeah." Gregor said as they stopped in front of a tent. "Go back to Howard and the others. Stay there."

"But Gregor-" Lizzie started.

"Do it." He ordered, walking into the tent. Vikus was in a chair, seated at a table by himself.

"Gregor, it is good to see you again." Vikus smiled at him. "I had a feeling that our warrior would come back.'

Gregor shook his head. "I-I'm not the warrior anymore, remember? I killed the warrior."

Vikus smiled absently. "Yes, I remember that. Well, what Luxa told me about that."

Gregor cleared his throat after a moment, startling the older man. "Lizzie said that you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

"About the war. I know that it seems like a noble act but I do not wish for you and your sisters to be caught up in a war again. From what Lizzie told me, you did not even know of the war before you came."

"No, we didn't. But now I do and I'm not leaving." Gregor said with a firmness that scared him for a second until he shook off the feeling quickly. "But, my parents, they might come after us and-"

"You do not wish for them to get caught by the Gnawers if they do." Vikus finished for Gregor.

"Well, yeah."

"I shall have that taken care of."

"Thanks." Gregor smiled a little. "Is that all?"

"No." Vikus looked Gregor in the eye. "Gregor, there are no prophecies about you doing this. Besides the Prophecy of Time, we knew that you would live. I cannot guaranty that this time. Are you sure about this?"

Gregor nodded. "Yes, Vikus. I really am."

Vikus's smile returned. "Then go. I trust that you will bring balance back to the Underland."

"I'll try my best." Gregor answered modestly. "Well…bye."

"Bye. It was good to see you again Gregor."

"You too." Gregor said, walking out of the tent. He went back to where the others were waiting for him.

"Are we ready?" Howard asked.

Boots shook her head. "No Temp."

Howard smiled at Boots. "Temp won't be with us this time Boots. Maybe we'll see him later."

Boots nodded, apparently agreeing with him. "We go."

Gregor looked at Agron. "I'll be riding with you?"

"Yes." The huge bat agreed. "And one of your sisters."

Gregor nodded. "Liz, you want to ride with Howard?"

"Okay." She said, readily.

Howard was about to get on Nike when he said, "Gregor, I almost forgot. You will need a sword."

"Uh…where are they?"

Howard sighed. "I shall be back."

Howard left as Gregor got situated on Agron. It seemed like forever since he had been on a Flier. Gregor closed his eyes, honoring his lost bond, Ares. When he opened his eyes, he realized that it would take awhile to get to the jungle, and that's assuming that Luxa is actually there.

"Uh…who's your bond?" Gregor asked, trying to make conversation.

"I have no bond." The Agron answered.

"Oh." Gregor mentally sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought.

"Here Gregor." Howard said, walking back up. He handed the boy a sword. "I just want to make sure that we are prepared for anything."

"Yeah, of course." Gregor nodded. He wished he had thought about getting sword. What type of warrior goes into battle unarmed? Gregor shook his head as they took off. What was he thinking?

"Why do you insist on going to the Jungle?" Agron asked after they had been flying in silence for a few minutes.

"I think that if we are going to win this, the humans need to be together. No one is going to take us seriously divided."

"Hmmm. I suppose." Agron chuckled. "That is not the reason I heard though."

"What? What reason did you hear?"

"I heard that you are interested in the queen." Agron did the weird laugh that Fliers did. Gregor had only gotten used to recently.

Gregor looked over at Howard and was glad that he was talking to Lizzie and didn't hear Agron's comment. "Who told you that?"

Agron got silent. "No one. It's just something that I heard. It is not true…is it?"

Gregor was silent, not knowing how to answer it. Part of him wanted to say yes but was Luxa wasn't his only reason. He was truly trying to reunite the divided humans. And, if he had time to get close to Luxa while doing it, then so be it.

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	4. Chapter 4

Gregor and the Hidden Prophecies

Chapter 4

"We are coming up on the Arch of Tantalus. Are you ready Gregor?" Howard asked.

"Ready? For what?"

"To attack. We do not know what will be waiting for us." Howard said. "Be prepared for anything."

"Oh, right." Gregor got his sword in position, ready for whatever laid before them. "You don't think that the others would attack us…do you?"

"I am not sure. But we are also unsure if they really have gone there and do not know what is really there."

"Temp there?" Boots asked. Gregor was starting to regret ever bringing up the crawler.

'No Boots." Gregor shook his head. "Is Hazard there, Howard?"

"Yes. And Mareth is there too." Howard stared straight ahead, not once looking at Gregor.

"What happened Howard?" Lizzie asked after a moment. "Why did the Gnawers attack the humans?"

He sighed, looking at her. "Because Lizzie, they never really wanted peace. They wanted land."

"Weren't you guys going to give it to them?"

"Not as much as they wanted. And you have to remember, it was Luxa that was in charge. As stubborn as she was, there was no negotiating. It was her way or else the deal wasn't going to happen." Howard finally looked at the ex-warrior. "Ripred tried to talk to her but she just wouldn't listen. The other Gnawers decided not to wait around for Ripred to decide things and planned and attack. We were still healing for the last war and were not able to defend ourselves. Then they figured out a way to attack the Fount. Mostly everyone there was killed."

Gregor stopped himself from defending Luxa. Besides, what would be the point? Nike spoke after a minute of silence. "We are here."

As soon as the Fliers touched down, there were Underlands surrounding them. Gregor held onto his sword, unsure if they were going to hurt them. Boots, however, had no fear of the people she once knew. She just began to climb off Agron.

"Boots." Gregor tried to grab her but she just jumped the rest of the way, landing on her feet.

"Hi!" She called the people.

Howard sighed, also getting down. He put he sword away, to show the others that they meant them no harm. Gregor followed suit before also getting down.

"We are here to see-"

"Howard! Gregor! Boots and Lizzie! And Nike too!"

They watched as a Halflander pushed his way through the crowd. Once he was in front of them, he spoke again.

"I told Luxa you would come Gregor."

Boots ran up to Hazard, excited to see him. "Hi!"

"Hi Boots."

Howard looked around before looking at his cousin again. "Hazard, we have come to see Luxa. Can you take us to her?"

Hazard nodded. "Yes. Follow me."

He lead them through the crowd as people murmured about the warrior being back. Gregor just concentrated on making sure that Boots didn't run off.

"You see Temp?" She asked her Halflander friend.

"Temp is with the Crawlers, Boots." Hazard told her as they came up on a cave. "Luxa! Gregor and the others are-"

"Hazard, I am busy. Go play somewhere else."

Gregor could see her talking to someone, though she did not turn to look at them. Hazard tried again. "But Luxa-"

"Go Hazard."

He shrugged. "Come on Boots, lets go play. You can come too Lizzie."

That finally got Luxa's attention. She looked at them for a moment before back at the person in front of her. She said something to them before walking out of the cave while the person she was speaking too went further in.

"Wait Hazard." She called to him as she came to face them. She looked at her older cousin. "I am shocked that you would come here Howard."

"The Overlander need someone to take him here and Nike agreed."

Luxa didn't even look at Gregor. "How are things with the others?"

"Better than here."

"What makes you say that?"

"They don't have you to rule over them."

Luxa finally looked away from Howard and at Gregor. "You are late Overlander."

Gregor found words hard for a moment before he was able to speak. "I didn't even know what was happening. I can't be late for something I didn't know about."

Boots looked at Luxa. "Do you have Temp?"

Everyone in the group held in a groan as Luxa just smiled. "No Boots. But I sure that you'll see him later."

Boots, finally giving up on her friend for the time being, looked at Hazard. "Play now?"

Hazard looked at Luxa for an answer. When she nodded, he and Gregor's two sisters ran off. Agron got tired of being silent and spoke up.

"Now that he is here, are we going to leave?" The bat asked Howard.

Howard looked at Gregor. "Are you going to stay here for now?"

"I-" He started but Nike stopped him.

"Why don't we stay, Howard? I sure that the others could use another medic."

Howard looked at the striped Flier. "I must get back, Nike. I have duties."

"Then go." Luxa told him. "The Overlanders are fine here. If they need to go back, I will have a Flier take them."

Howard nodded, walking off with the bats. Gregor almost said bye to the but stopped himself. Luxa walked back into the cave.

"Come Gregor." She called. He looked on last time at his friends before following her. There were many Underlands and Nibblers study maps by firelight and talking to each other. The looked up at him as Luxa lead him deep into the cave. She stopped when she came upon her bond.

"Overlander!" He heard someone call. He turned and saw Mareth walking towards him from somewhere deeper in the cave. He hugged him tightly.

"Hey Mareth." Gregor hugged him back.

Once the man let him go, Luxa spoke. "I am sure that you have been to Regalia, Gregor."

"Yeah. I went to the arena." He looked around. "How long have the Gnawers had control of it?"

"For over two months." Mareth told him. Aurora looked at the Overlander,

"Were are you sisters? Did they not accompany you?"

"They're with Hazard." He told her.

Luxa sat down, her back against the wall. Mareth smiled at Gregor before walking back to where ever he had come from. Gregor couldn't help but notice that he had gotten better at walking without his real leg.

"Did you see Vikus?" Luxa asked after a moment.

Gregor nodded, sitting next to her. "Yeah."

"And he is…alright?"

"Yeah, he's fine." Gregor looked at Luxa. "Do you guys know what you're going to do about the Gnawers?"

"If we did, Gregor, do you think that we would be here?"

"Right. Sorry."

She just sighed. "Do your parents know that you are here?"

"No. I mean, by now they probably do but no, they didn't give me permission to go."

"I thought that you went to…that place." Luxa had forgotten the name.

"Virginia?"

"Yes."

"We're leaving in two weeks. We stayed until my Grandmother…passed away."

"Oh." Luxa looked at him. "I am sorry."

Gregor shrugged. "Whatever."

"Why was Agron with you?" Aurora purred out. Gregor looked at her, noticing the slight change in her pitch.

"Oh, we just needed a Flier and Nike asked him."

A few people walked by, looking at the three of them. When their future queen sent them a look though, they turned the gaze away and went on their way. When the guy that Luxa was talking to before walked over to them, Luxa stood. Gregor got up too because she did.

"Emmett." Luxa looked at the other Underlander. "Did you take care of it?"

"Yes." He smiled at her. "People are wondering what the _warrior_ is doing here."

"It is none of their concern. Inform me when the Spinners arrive."

Emmett nodded before walking off. Luxa sat back down so Gregor did too.

"Why are the Spinners coming?"

"To discuss some things. They have stayed neutral for too long. We would help them and yet they do not help us."

Gregor nodded. "What about the Crawlers?"

"They are on our side, but there is not a lot they can do." The girl pulled her knees to her chest. "I will have a Flier take you and your sisters back tomorrow. You can go through the stairwell."

"What?"

"You don't want to be here. There is no point for you here either. There's not a prophecies about this."

"I want to be here though."

"You will be moving soon, right? What do you care what's going on here."

Gregor shrugged. "I just care and want to help."

"What about your sisters?"

"If I go to take them back, I won't be able to come back. Besides, the Gnawers aren't attacking you here, are they?"

"No. They just want Regalia and the Fount. We are safe here."

"So what are you going to do?"

Luxa sighed. "We can attack them again but the last few attacks haven't helped any."

Gregor was silent for a second. "Maybe you need to get back with the others and then fight them."

Luxa's posture changed. "You think that I chose for them to not go with us? It was their choice. I cannot control what others do."

"I know that. I just meant-"

"Gregor!" Boots ran up to them, Hazard and Lizzie following.

"Hey Boots." Gregor pulled her into his lap.

"Luxa, Nerissa wants to see you…and Gregor." Lizzie said.

"Yeah." Hazard agreed. "She by the water with that man."

"What man?" Luxa asked, standing.

"That one that thinks he can control water with his mind." Hazard sat down while Lizzie giggled.

"He's funny." The eight year old said.

Luxa didn't seemed as amused by him. "Come on Gregor."

Gregor sat Boots down before following her out of the cave. "Who's the guy Hazard was talking about?"

"His name is Isaac."

"You don't like him?"

Luxa looked at Gregor. "He is just adding more stress to Nerissa's life."

Gregor didn't say anything else, just walked with her to the edge of the water, were Nerissa was sitting with a man, laughing at something he had said. Even though they were out in the Jungle and not in Regalia, Gregor thought that Nerissa looked better than he had ever seen her. Maybe Luxa was wrong...

"Ah, let me guess, this is the warrior?" The man stood up. "I must see the future too, eh Nerissa?"

Luxa's cousin smiled. "Not quite Isaac."

Luxa ignored Isaac. "You wanted to see us, Nerissa?"

"Yes. I wanted to tell you about something I saw yesterday." Nerissa looked at Gregor. "I told Luxa you would be back today. Remember Luxa?"

Luxa sighed. "Yes Nerissa."

The older girl smiled. "I didn't tell you the other thing."

"What is it?"

"That Gregor is right."

"About what?"

"We will not get back to Regalia without reuniting with the others. Even then, it won't be over."

"What won't be over?" Luxa sat down, across from her cousin.

"Everything. The Gnawers will not ever except peace unless they get what they want."

"And what is that?"

"Good land, our land."

Luxa nodded. "Is that all?"

Nerissa smiled. "For now. Isaac was about to practice. Would you and Gregor like to watch him?"

"No thank you." Luxa stood back up. "We are very busy."

Gregor walked next to Luxa this time instead of behind her. "What does he do to practice?"

Luxa smirked a little. "He talks to the water."

Gregor made a face. "Does it…talk back to him?"

"So he claims." Luxa laughed a little.

"Nerissa seems like she likes him."

Luxa shrugged, smile fading. "She likes everyone."

Gregor said nothing as they walked back to the cave.

* * *

**Man, it's almost been a year since I messed with this story. I will try not to let that happen again.**


	5. Chapter 5

Gregor and the Hidden Prophecies

Chapter 5

Gregor kissed Boots head. "Night Boots."

"No go home?"

"Nope." Gregor looked at his other sister. "Night Liz."

"Night."

The two girls were laying on the ground with Hazard, about to go to bed. Luxa and Gregor sat next to them, waiting until they went to sleep before talking. Once they were sure that they were asleep, they started.

"We have to get the others to trust in you again."

Luxa looked at him. "How?"

"I don't know." Gregor admitted.

"Then what you said is worthless."

"Luxa." Gregor shook his head. "Then what are you going to do? Stay here till you die?"

"Gregor." Luxa glared at him. "You have been here for how long?"

"Fine. Don't ask what I think if you don't like the answers."

Luxa stood up and walked away. Gregor sighed, laying down on the ground next to his sisters. He was almost asleep when Luxa came back. She sat back down where she was before.

"Where'd you go?" Gregor asked. They were away from the other Underlanders, right next to the entrance to the jungle.

"To check on things." Luxa pulled her legs to her chest, laying her head on her knees. Gregor watched her for a second. "What?"

He blushed a little but, as there was no fire, it was too dark for her to see. "Nothing."

Luxa looked at him a for a moment but then looked away. "You should go to sleep. Tomorrow, you can go with me to the Spinner's land…if you want."

"I thought that they were coming to us?"

"There were some…complications."

"What?" Gregor sat up a little.

"The two soldiers that we sent out to the Spinner's land have not reported back yet. We'll find out what happened."

"You don't have someone that'll do that for you?"

"I do but I would rather do it myself. I've been stuck here long enough."

Gregor was silent for a moment before speaking. "Did another council ever get back together?"

"They tried. But before the Gnawers betrayed us, I had full control." Luxa shrugged. "I am sure that someone has taken control of the others now."

"Howard said that-"

"I don't care to hear what he said."

"Oh. Sorry."

Luxa looked at him again. "Argon isn't a very trustworthy Flier."

Gregor just stared at her. Where had that come from? "Why?"

"He just isn't. You shouldn't spend too much time with him…or Howard for that matter."

"Luxa." Gregor sighed. "At least tell me what's wrong with Argon."

"He-"

"Luxa." Aurora land next to the group. "Mareth wishes to speak with you."

"On what matter?"

"Because you have chosen to go look for the two lost soldiers instead of someone more suited for the task."

"It is none of his concern what I chose to do!" Luxa stood up and climbed onto her bonds back. After they took off, Gregor decided to go to sleep. He was drifting off but Hazard woke him up.

"Gregor, are you still awake?"

He held in a sigh. "Yeah Hazard."

"Can I come with you and Luxa tomorrow?"

"I don't know if we'll go now. Mareth apparently doesn't want Luxa too. And you shouldn't eavesdrop Hazard."

"Sorry. But you guys will go. Luxa always gets her way."

"Right." Gregor shook his head. "Yeah, you can go I guess. Why wouldn't you?"

"I don't know. I just wanted to make sure that you would let me. Luxa never lets me go anywhere."

Smiling, Gregor closed his eyes. "You, Boots, and Lizzie can go."

Hazard, now satisfied, went back to sleep. Gregor, however, found sleep hard now. Sighing, he waited for Luxa to come back. When she finally did, she was clearly upset.

"How dare he!" She exclaimed as Aurora touched down. "He is not in control of me. He's not!"

"The children are asleep." Aurora softly reminded her.

Luxa just huffed, crossing her arms. "Neither he nor Emmett has the right to tell me what to do."

"So we're not going?" Gregor asked.

Luxa turned her glare on him. "Oh we're going. We are so going."

* * *

"No Hazard."

"Gregor told me I could go!"

He knew this would come back to get him. "Luxa-"

"I don't care what Gregor told you! Does it look like he decides things?"

"Okay, Luxa, I think that you-"

"Why can't I come?" Hazard glared at his older cousin.

"Because, Hazard, we only have Aurora to take us. There's not enough room for you, Lizzie, and Boots."

"Liar. You just want to be alone with Gregor."

Luxa blushed. "Hazard, if there were another Flier, I would let you come. But since there isn't-"

"Could Aurora ask someone?" Lizzie asked. When Luxa turned to glare at her, Lizzie got flustered. "I mean, uh, never mind."

Gregor sighed. "I'm sure that there is some flier that is willing to go with us, Luxa."

"Yeah what about Hermes!" Lizzie asked excitedly. Another look from Luxa though and she shut up.

"Fine. Aurora, can you get another Flier to go with us?" The young queen looked at her bond. "But do not let Mareth or Emmett know that you are looking."

Aurora nodded before flying off. Gregor smiled at Luxa, seeing that she was mad. "It'll be fun with them coming with us. It'll give us something to do."

Luxa ignored him. She watched as Boots jumped down from the tree stump she had been perched on before striding over to her. "What is it Boots?"

"We get Temp now?"

Luxa smiled while Gregor just rolled his eyes. "Maybe later Boots."

"Overlander!"

Luxa clenched her eyes shut. "Not now."

"Hi Isaac." Gregor greeted.

"And what adventures will you two be getting into today?" Isaac asked, walking up to the group.

"We-" Hazard started but Luxa cut him off."

"Nothing Isaac. Don't you have something to do. Like help find food or watch children."

"But I am watching children. You guys."

Lizzie smiled at him while Luxa just took a deep breath. "I'm sure that Nerissa would like to spend time with you. Why don't you go find her?"

"Nerissa is resting." Isaac looked around. "Nothing exciting on the agenda today, my queen?"

"No. Just going over attack plans. Nothing you would find interesting."

"Oh, okay." Isaac shrugged. "I'll see you later then."

Luxa turned to face Gregor as the man walked off. Gregor sighed. "You don't have to be so mean to him."

"I am not mean. I was being very polite."

"Right." Gregor just shook his head as Aurora flew in and landed next to Luxa, another bat with her.

"Alcmene, you will be helping us?" Luxa asked the purple colored flier.

"Yes. Aurora told me that we are going to look for the missing soldiers."

Luxa nodded. "You do not have any duties for the rest of the day?"

"No."

"Okay." She looked at the others. "Are you sure that you three wish to come with us Hazard? It won't be any fun."

"It's more fun than being here all day."

Luxa sighed. "Alright."

"I will be taking all three Overlanders?" Alcmene asked.

"No. You'll have Hazard and Lizzie." Luxa climbed onto her bonds back. Gregor grabbed his backpack off the ground and slung it over his shoulders before picking up Boots. He sat her on Aurora's back before also getting on. Once Hazard and Lizzie were situated on Alcmene, they were off.

"What if Mareth sent people out to look for the guys?" Gregor asked, move Boots to his lap.

"He did not. I made sure of it." Luxa looked over at Hazard and Lizzie. The Halflander was telling the girl some story about Frill. Recently, Hazard had been talking more and more about his father and the hisser that he had lost awhile back. He thought it would help him remember better if he talked about them.

"What do you think that we're going to find?" Gregor asked.

"Hopefully just one of them is injured." Luxa looked at Gregor. "You cut your hair."

"Yeah. My mom thought that it was getting too long."

"I like it." She reached out and touched it.

He smiled at her. "Thanks."

"I knew it." Hazard called over to them. "You just wanted to go alone so you could-"

"Hazard." Luxa shook her head while Lizzie giggled.

* * *

They had been flying for a while. Hazard and Lizzie were lying down on Alcmene, still talking. Boots had fallen asleep on Aurora.

"So when Luxa turn sixteen, she gets to be queen but all you get is to drive?"

"Yeah. But driving is so cool."

"What's the point of it? Can't you just walk?"

"Yeah but what about when you have to go a long way? You have fliers and stuff but we don't. We have to have cars."

"Do cars have names?"

"They have brands."

While Lizzie and Hazard found talking a good way to pass time, Luxa and Gregor found another. Boots had fallen asleep while they had found silence a nice comfort after having to listen to Boots's new favorite song; Mary had a little lamb, a hundred times. Luxa was leaning slightly against Gregor, listening to Hazard and Lizzie talk.

"Can't you just build your own car?"

"I guess. But why would you?"

"I don't know. I was just asking." Hazard looked at his cousin. "Luxa?"

"Yes Hazard?"

"Are we almost there?"

"Even when we get there, we have to search for the soldiers so it won't matter much if we are there or not." Luxa moved away from Gregor, stretching. "I told you that you would not want to come."

"I do! I'm just asking. And I'm hungry."

"Hazard." Luxa shook her head.

Gregor moved his backpack from his back and started going through it. He pulled out two candy bars. "Here Hazard. You and Lizzie can split one."

"Thanks." He caught it when Gregor threw it to him.

"Here Luxa." Gregor opened the other one and broke it in half.

"Me!" Boots sat up."

"Sorry Boots." Gregor broke his in half again, handing it to her. "I thought that you were sleeping."

"What is it that you are eating?" Alcmene asked.

"Snickers." Lizzie told her.

Hazard ate it. "Luxa, I want to live in the Overland."

Luxa looked over at him. "What?"

"I want a car and candy and-"

"Hazard, calm down." Luxa sighed.

"Gregor, you can take me there, right?" Hazard looked at him.

"Yeah, I guess- Ow! Luxa!" She had hit him!

"Don't tell him that. He can not go there."

"Why not?" Hazard asked.

"Because it's…dangerous."

"Gregor, I wan' more."

"I don't have anymore Boots."

She pouted. "More!"

"Boots-"

"Here." Luxa had not eaten hers and it was starting to melt in her hand. "You can have mine."

Boots happily took it. "Like Luxa bet'er dan Gregor."

"You're probably the only one." Gregor mumbled.

Lizzie and Hazard laughed but Luxa didn't find him funny. Did she find anything funny? Aurora stopped her from commenting on what he had said.

"We are coming up on the spinner's land." The gold flier angled her wings downward, Alcmene following suit. "Do you wish for us to land?"

"Yes." Luxa looked straight ahead. "I will talk to Queen Wevox first and find out if they were there."

They were right above the ground when the gnawers attacked. It caught them all off guard but Alcmene was able to pull back up, taking the two on her back with her. Aurora, however, was not so lucky. A gnawer got her right wing, cutting into it. Aurora went down fast.

"Aurora!" Luxa jumped off her back, as did Gregor, who took Boots with him. Luxa drew her sword, standing in front of her Flier. Gregor realized that there was no way to get Aurora out of here.

"Alcmene!" Gregor yelled. He held up Boots and the purple flier flew down enough so that Lizzie could take her sister from Gregor. "Get out of here and get- Ah!"

One of the Gnawers took Gregor being distracted as a moment to slash the boy down the back. Luxa stabbed the gnawer in the chest before moving onto another one. Gregor pulled out his sword as Alcmene flew away with the younger ones. It was only about two minutes into the battle when Luxa realized that there was no way to win this. Gregor though had gone into rager mode and was oblivious to the fact that there were to many gnawers for them to fend off. It wasn't until Luxa screamed that he was brought out of his trance.

"Worthless piece of crap!" She yelled, dropping her sword. Her right arm was slashed open, almost to the bone. The girl tried to pick her sword up with her other hand but one of the gnawers grabbed her, pulling her to him.

"Now what of great warrior?" One mocked. "Just surrender and we we'll get your little girlfriend and her flier some help."

Gregor shook his head. "Fine."

"No Gregor!" Luxa screamed at him as he laid down his sword. "You imbecile!"


	6. Chapter 6

Gregor and the Hidden Prophecies

Chapter 6

"Aurora, when will you wing heal?" Gregor asked after they had sat in silence for a few minutes.

"It'll be usable in two days but not for a long flight." Aurora shifted slightly before speaking. "Have you seen Luxa?"

"No. They still have her."

When he gave up, they led all of them in different directions. They gave Gregor cloth to wrap his back with. They had put Aurora in there with him after about an hour of solitude. They both got quiet again. Gregor knew that Luxa's bond had fallen asleep after an hour or so. He almost fell asleep too but forced himself to stay up.

"Look you mangy worthless-"

"Ah, shut up." The rat threw Luxa into room before shutting the stone door.

"Are you okay?" Gregor asked, moving towards her.

"No thanks to you. You never give up!"

"Luxa, there was no way to win."

"Gregor is right Luxa." Aurora agreed.

"Where are we anyways?" Gregor asked.

Luxa moved over to Aurora, leaning against her bond. "I don't know. Apparently, the spinners have chosen the gnawers over us. We're somewhere in their land."

"Great." Gregor sighed.

"Aurora, are you alright?" Luxa ran her hand down the flier's side.

"Yes. And you?"

"I am fine. My arm was just scraped."

"The cut was pretty deep Luxa." Gregor commented.

Luxa glared at him but it was too dark for him to see. "It doesn't matter. We need to think of a plan out of here."

"How can we? That door is made of stone and is locked." Gregor shook his head. "The gnawers have never made something like that, they couldn't. They would have need help…human help."

Luxa closed her eyes. "We'll have to attack them whenever they walk in. Which means that we will have to heal more."

Gregor leaned against the wall behind him. "I'm sure that as soon as Alcmene gets back, they'll send people for us."

Luxa nodded, yawing a little. "Yeah, probably."

"You should rest Luxa." Aurora purred out.

"Yeah. You too Aurora." Luxa agreed.

Gregor sat there until Luxa fell asleep. When she did, he stood up.

"What are you doing Overlander?" Aurora asked.

"Just stretching." Gregor went over to where the door was. It was made completely of stone and was lifted slightly off the ground, a little light shining through. He was standing next to it when it was pushed open, knocking him in the head, and also knocking him out.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, his head was in Luxa's lap. He stared up at her for a moment. "W-"

"Only you, Overlander, can survive a prophecy predicting your death only to be knocked out by a door." She smiled at him.

"Are we still in-"

"Unfortunately yes." The queen sighed. "There was no chance of escape with you unconscious."

"Sorry."

"It's fine. Who would expect more from an Overlander?"

Gregor smiled, starting to sit up. "Yeah, whatever."

"Does your head hurt?" Aurora spoke up.

"Yeah, a little." Try a lot.

"Have Luxa kiss it and make it better."

Gregor turned in the dark. "Hazard?"

Luxa sighed. "They got caught and were sent back here."

"Gregor sick?" Boots asked, marching her way over.

"No." He kissed her head. "I'm fine."

"Get Temp now?"

"No."

Boots huffed before going back over to Hazard. "Gregor mean."

Gregor rolled his eyes. "Who was coming in the door anyways?"

"They were dropping us off." Lizzie said from somewhere in the darkness. "I wish Ripred was here."

Luxa snorted. "What good would he do? Besides, we do not need him to get out of here Lizzie."

Gregor tried to stand up but as soon as he was on his feet, he started feeling lightheaded. He fell back down…on top of Luxa.

"Gregor!"

"Sorry." He moved off her.

She smiled a little. "Just hurry up and feel better. The sooner you do, the sooner we get out of here."

"No. This is way more fun than sitting in the jungle, having you yell at me." Hazard commented.

"Yeah but now we're sitting in here while she yells at you. That is fun for no one." Gregor closed his eyes, laying back on the ground. Luxa moved him so that his head was in her lap again. Hazard rolled his eyes.

"Me hungry." Boots declared, going over her brother. "Gregor."

"Sorry Boots. I don't have any food." Gregor opened his eyes. "Just take a nap."

"Luxa?" Boots looked at her.

"Sorry. I don't have any either."

Boots went over to Alcmene, snuggling against her side. "Luxa mean. Gregor mean."

Gregor smiled, looking up at Luxa, who stared down at him. Maybe being stuck in there wasn't so bad…

* * *

"Gregor?"

"What?"

"Are you…well enough?"

"For what?"

"Gregor."

"Oh, right. Yeah."

"…Then could you sit up?"

Gregor lifted his head from Luxa's lap. He had laid there for about two hours before falling asleep again. They had been in there for at least a day, maybe even two. "So next time they come by we attack."

"Yes. They've only come by in pairs so we should be able to take them." Luxa looked behind her at her bond. "Aurora, will you be able to fly?"

"Yes."

She nodded. "Alcmene, after kill the two that come for us, you will carry Gregor, Hazard, and Lizzie. I will take Boots on Aurora."

"What will we attack them with? We don't have swords."

Luxa lifted her shirt slightly, revealing that she had tucked daggers into the waistband of her pants. She handed one to Gregor.

"Well aren't you prepared?" Gregor smiled at her.

"I started carrying them after the gnawer's took Regalia." Luxa turned the one she held in her hand.

"Now all we have to do is wait." Gregor laid the dagger down on the ground next to him.

* * *

It had been at least half a day and they still hadn't had someone come check on them. They would starve them…would they? After playing ever word game and guessing game known to man, Lizzie and Hazard were playing slaps. Boots, who had cried about being hungry for about two hours, had worn herself out and had fallen asleep, this time leaning up against Aurora.

Luxa closed her eyes. "This is so…boring."

"Yeah." Gregor smiled when she laid her head on his shoulder. They were facing the door, laying in wait for the gnawers to open the door.

"How long are you going to stay?"

"Until you guys get back to Regalia and I'm sure that the gnawers will leave you alone."

"That could take forever. You heard Nerissa."

Gregor didn't really believe in Nerissa and her physic powers but he didn't want to hurt Luxa's feelings. Especially when she was holding a dagger. "I'm not going to leave you guys when you need me."

"You're not the warrior anymore, Gregor. You're supposed to be dead to us." Gregor didn't say anything. Luxa looked up at him. "It's true Gregor. You could leave. Who would blame you for that?"

"I spent all that time helping you guys. I'm not going to let the gnawers push you out of Regalia."

"Too late for that." Luxa kissed his cheek,

Gregor blushed a little but quickly recovered. "We'll think of a way to get back there. Plus, we'll figure out how to get the others on your side again."

'Ha. I beat you again." Lizzie smiled victoriously.

"Well that's because this game is stupid."

"Is not. You're just mad that I beat you at everything."

"No. I just don't want to play with you anymore."

"Because you always lose."

"Shut you-"

"Hazard!" Luxa removed her head from Gregor's arm. "Behave."

"You too Lizzie. You shouldn't brag about winning." Gregor stretched a little.

Hazard stood up and went over to the corner of the dungeon that they had been using for the bathroom. The two boys had no problem with doing it while the girls only used it when they desperately had to pee. They all turned their head as Hazard pulled his pants down. Lizzie went over to where Boots was laying down and laid down with her.

Once Hazard was done he went over to his cousin. "Hey Luxa?"

"What?"

"Shake my hand!"

"Hazard, do not touch me."

"Come on Luxa."

"You touch me and you will greatly regret it." Luxa moved closer to Gregor.

"What? Why can't I touch you?"

"You know why." Luxa glared at him. "I am in no mood right now Hazard."

"What? Gregor has peed and you still touch him."

"I'm not touching his hand."

"But his hand has touched his face and you're all over that."

"Hazard! What is wrong with you recently?" Luxa shook her head. "Go play with Lizzie."

"She doesn't want to play anymore. She's laying down with Boots." Hazard sighed. "I'm bored. And hungry."

"You and everyone else." Luxa laid her head back on Gregor's shoulder. "Aurora, are you awake?"

"Yes."

"How is your wing?"

"It is good." Aurora answered. "And your arm?"

"Fine."

Hazard went over to the purple flier. "Alcmene, do you have a bond?"

"No. Why?"

"No reason. I was just wondering." Hazard sat against the wall.

"Hey Hazard," Gregor said after awhile. "How's learn flier going?"

"Fine, I guess. Since we've been in the jungle, some flier's will work with me when they are free. Aurora helps me a lot."

"You are trying to learn flier?" Alcmene asked. "I could help you, if you like."

"Yeah, okay!"

That gave Hazard something to do. Gregor looked down at Luxa. "This is taking longer than expected."

Luxa nodded slightly. "I have many things to take care of. I do not have time for this."

"What things?"

"Things that have to do with the war, Gregor." She sighed. "And now that we are caught, Emmett will throw it in my face. He thinks that he could do things better than me."

"Then why is he not with the others?"

"Because, if the other stopped to think, they would realize that it is more of his fault that the gnawers forced us out than it is mine." Gregor wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders. "And the others will find this hilarious. They love to find any fault with my plans."

"At least you're trying." Gregor offered.

"Yeah. They just think that I could do so much-"

The door started opening and Gregor and Luxa both jumped up, holding the daggers in the hands. When it was fully opened, the launched at the gnawers coming in. Gregor ended up with a few more scratches but they killed them.

"Hurry." Luxa said, walking out of the room, the others following. They all got on their assigned fliers and were off.

"Where do we go?" Alcmene asked Gregor.

"Let's go the way I went. There's a cave up on the left. Take it." He looked behind them. Aurora was having trouble with her wing. "Luxa, follow us!"

"Alright." She called back. She had Boots in her lap, trying to calm her. Boots was not happy about being awaken.

The cave that they flew into was filled with gnawers and the top of the cave was closer to the ground in comparison to the one they just got out of. This meant that Alcmene was constantly having to dodge the enemy, get cut up a few times. Luckily, none were able to get her wings. Gregor was having a hard time fending off the oversized rats with the dagger and forgot about Luxa, Boots, and Aurora momentarily. Once they got out of that cave, it opened to a water way. Alcmene hovered over the ground, waiting for Aurora. After two minutes, it became clear that she wasn't coming out.

"Gregor?" Lizzie asked.

"Is Luxa-" Hazard started but Gregor cut him off.

"Alcmene, go back to the jungle. Get help. I'll stay here."

"Overlander that is not a good idea. You are horribly out numbered."

"So are the others." Gregor had already made up his mind. There was no way he was going to leave Boots in there. Luxa and Aurora were strong, he was almost sure that they would survive on their own but not with Boots. "Drop me on that strip of land."

Alcmene reluctantly did as Gregor asked. "Be careful Overlander."

Gregor climbed off. "You too."

Bye Gregor." Lizzie called as the purple bat flew away. Gregor shook his head, looking around. He almost grabbed the flashlight out of his backpack but then remembered his echolocation. That would be much more suitable.

The cave that Alcmene had flown out of was too high up. On top of that, what would he accomplish by going through there? There were too many gnawers there. He had to sneak up on them. Using the skill that Ripred had taught him, he found that there was another cave too the right of him. As he walked into it, he momentarily worried that the gnawers had killed them. He shook his head. They would not harm Luxa…would they? She would be more valuable to them alive, right? Then they can use her to wager with the humans…half of them anyways.

* * *

He leaned up against the cave wall, breathing slowly. He heard them talking, yelling really.

"The other ones got away! They will have the army here in no time."

"Have you not heard? They have split. I heard that all the good, smart generals have gone away from here."

"What about that warrior? He might bring them back together."

"Ah, that weakling. I don't fear him at all."

"Yeah me- Do you smell that?"

"What?"

"I smell him."

"Who?"

"Is your nose that screwed? The warrior!" The gnawer laughed. "Come back for your little girlfriend, have you?"

Crap. He turned the corner to face them, dagger in his hand. Here's to trying. "Take me to my sister and I will spare your lives."

That got them laughing. After a moment though, the two were prepared to rip his throat out. Which, of course, they attempted to do. Gregor, however, was ready for them. When one slashed at his throat, Gregor moved down, cutting the other one in the thigh. It slashed his face. Gregor pulled back before stabbing the one that went for his throat in the chest, somewhere close to, if not in, the heart. He dodged them a few more times, cutting them a little more before they had lost too much blood and had no strength left to fight him. As he ran off, Gregor realized that fighting with a dagger was a lot harder than with a sword. He was getting cut up a lot worse than when he used a sword.

When he finally stopped running, he realized that he had no idea where to go from here. Where were they? He walked for a minute or two before he heard it. Boot's was crying and it sounded close. He followed the sound as best as he could, getting turned around a few times but after a moment, he found where the noise was coming from. It lead him to a door that, as was the one that they had been in before, had a lock over it.

"Shhh Boots." Gregor heard Luxa on the other side. "We will get out soon."

"I want my momma!" Boots yelled. "Go home, go home, go home!"

"Boots!" Gregor yelled.

"Gregor?" He heard Luxa yell from the other side.

"Yeah. There's a lock over the door."

"Can you not pick it?"

"With what?"

Luxa sighed. "Go find keys then."

"Luxa…are you okay?" Her voice sounded strained.

"Just hurry Gregor!"

"Alright." He ran off, in search of keys. After ten minutes of searching he saw a gnawer walking towards him, keys in hands. Today must be his lucky day! Well, besides the whole captured by gnawers in spinner territory. But besides that, pretty lucky.

"I found him!" The gnawer yelled, running at Gregor. Gregor took him out easily. Then twenty something that ran in? Didn't take them as well. So when he got back to the room, it wasn't to set them free, it was to join them.

"Gregor!" Luxa looked up as the door opened. They tossed him in. He stayed on the ground for a moment before standing. He went over to where Luxa was sitting, his little sister in her lap. Boots was cuddled again her chest, having finished crying.

"There are a lot of gnawers here." He sat down next to Luxa. "Where's Aurora?"

Luxa swallowed, looking away from him. "I don't know. They've taken her."

"Is she-"

"I don't know."

Gregor sighed. This day just kept getting better and better…not. "I'm sure she's fine Luxa."

She shook her head. "I have seen Aurora hurt before but not like this. I tried save her but-"

Luxa just stopped, looking down at Boots. "There's bread, in that corner over there. Boots was took upset to eat and I'm not hungry."

"Are you hungry now?" Gregor asked his sister, standing. He went and got the loaf of bread, ripping some of it off. He went back to them and gave the piece to Boots. She smiled at him, eating it. "You want some Luxa?"

She shook her head no. Gregor sighed, eating some of it. Luxa leaned against him. "Where are the others?"

"We got out and were waiting for you guys. When you didn't show, I sent them back to the jungle and came to find you guys."

"More Gregor." Boots held her hand out. He gave her another piece, taking another for himself before putting it back on the ground.

"Now what are we going to do? They have my dagger." Gregor looked at Luxa.

"Mine too." She mumbled.

Great, just great. "I'm sure that they'll send someone for us."

"Yeah." Luxa closed her eyes. "You're bleeding."

"Eh, nothing too bad."

"Next time I make a stupid decision to go do something even when Mareth tells us not to, stop me."

"I couldn't if I tried."


	7. Chapter 7

Gregor and the Hidden Prophecies

Chapter 7

"Gregor?"

He groaned, opening his eyes. Luxa was still sleeping on his shoulders, a now awake Boots sitting in her lap. "What Boots?"

"Go home? See Mommy?"

"No. Go back to sleep."

"No sleepy. I sleep all day!"

Luxa opened her eyes. "What if Gregor tells you a story?"

"Yes!"

"Luxa, I don't know any stories!"

"Make one up." She sat Boots in his lap before laying down on the ground.

Gregor groaned. "Why don't you tell her a story?"

"All my stories are boring." Luxa laid on her back, starting up into the darkness.

"Gregor tell story." Boots ordered.

"Alright, alright." Gregor sighed. "There was a-"

"Once 'pon time Gregor."

"Boots." Shaking his head, he continued. "Once upon a time there was a…dog and he…died."

"Gregor." Luxa warned.

"Hold on, it gets better." Gregor cleared his throat. "Anyways, the dog's ghost came back to-"

"Stop it." Luxa sat up. "Come here Boots."

"Boots crawled into Luxa's lap. "Gregor mean."

"Yeah." The future queen agreed.

"Where 'rora?"

Luxa closed her eyes. "She's here but she's with the gnawers."

"Why?"

"Hey Boots, are you hungry?" Gregor gave her some bread, just to distract her.

"Yes!" Boots happily ate it. Gregor broke off another piece and held it out to Luxa.

"You want some Lux?"

She raised an eyebrow. "What did you call me?"

"Luxa."

She shook her head, taking it. "No you didn't."

"Yeah, I did." Wait, did he…crap. "I called you Luxa."

"Sure Gregor."

"I did!" Gregor stuffed some bread in his mouth to shut up.

* * *

"So these…guns have replaced swords?"

"Long replaced swords."

"But why would you-"

The sound of a key in the lock stopped Gregor and Luxa's conversation. They both sat up, waiting.

"What?" They heard what they assumed to be a gnawer from the other side of the door. "God, this queen is more bitchy than the one in there!"

"Hey!" Luxa glared at the door while Gregor kept down a smile.

"Stupid spinners." The gnawer grumbled, walking away. The two teens sighed. After a second, Luxa sprang up.

"Gregor, he didn't lock the door back!"

Gregor went over to the door. There was no handle on their side. "Great."

"Move." Luxa pushed him out of her way. Her fingers barely fit in the crack between the door and the wall. She slowly inched the stone door open. "Get Boots."

"Come here." Gregor picked up his sister. "You've got to be quiet, alright?"

Boots nodded, laying her head on his shoulder. "Okay."

"You and Boots get out." Luxa told him, walking down the hallway. "I must find Aurora."

"Luxa." Gregor ran to catch up with her. "We'll help you find her. Even if we did get out, what would we do without a flier?"

"You would wait for the others to get you. Now go."

"No."

"Fine." Luxa shook her head. "These caves are never ending."

"Yeah." Gregor mumbled as they walked through the darkness. "Any idea where they took her?"

"No."

"I guess we'll just have to- Do you hear that?"

Luxa looked at him. "Yeah. It sounds like…fighting."

"They're here." Gregor took off running, towards the sounds of the fight.

"Overlander!" Emmett yelled as he ran into the room. The man pulled his sword from a gnawer's carcass. "You're late. You missed all the fun."

"I've had enough fun for the day." Gregor went over to him. Luxa narrowed her eyes at Emmett.

"Are you the only one here?"

"No. I was on my way here with Heb and ran into Isaac. He and Heb went another way to look for you."

"Isaac?" Luxa shook her head. "Aurora is hurt. I do not know where they have her."

Emmett shook his head. "Should I really be shocked, Eros?"

With a laugh, the flier Emmett was talking to said, "It is Queen Luxa."

Gregor saw Luxa's eyes flair a little but she said nothing. "I have to find my bond. You can continue if you want but I find her more important than your stupidity."

Emmett looked at Gregor but he just looked away. "Alright."

Luxa walked passed him, continuing through the cave. Gregor followed her.

"Why rat on ground?" Boots asked her older brother.

"He's asleep." Gregor told her.

"Him not dead?"

Gregor sighed. "Yeah, Boots, he's dead."

"You lie!"

"Boots, be quiet, okay?" Luxa looked over at them. "We're trying to find Aurora and then we'll leave. Just be quiet a little bit longer."

Boots huffed but did what was asked of her. Emmett ran to catch up to them.

"Queen Luxa-"

"Silence. You are the only one with a weapon so we are clearly not adept to fight."

Emmett followed behind the silently, his bond flying above. It was about ten minutes later when they came on Isaac, Heb, and two bats.

"Luxa!" Isaac ran to her, hugging her. Luxa pushed him away. "I thought that you were dead!"

"What are you talking about Isaac?"

"Nerissa said a month ago that someone important to her would die but she wouldn't tell me who. That's why I came to find you guys. Mareth thought that you just got sidetracked but I knew better."

Gregor rolled his eyes. "Have you seen Aurora?"

"Aurora!" Isaac shook his head. "She must have been the one to-"

"Isaac." Gregor cut him off, noticing Luxa's face change. "We should hurry and find her."

Luxa shook her head, walking on, the others behind her. "Heb, did you come from the right or left?"

"Then left."

Luxa took a right at the turn as Boots got restless. "Gregor."

"Boots, just a little longer."

"I want Mama."

When they came to another door, Luxa ran to it. "Aurora? Are you in there?"

There was a very hushed yes from the other side of the door. Luxa looked at Emmett but before she could say anything, gnawers showed up.

"Told you I smelled the warrior." The female gnawer looked at the brown male. "I think that I'm getting tired of them getting out. What if we injure them so that they can't escape?"

Emmett went at them, trying to stab one of them while Heb took on another. The brown one knocked Heb in the head, cutting it open. Isaac had drawn his sword but was frozen, as if in fear. Gregor, after giving Boots to Luxa, took the sword from him, going at the one that was about to Heb. He killed it and then helped Emmett kill the other.

"Heb, are you alright?" Emmett turned to look at him.

He just groaned. "How bad is it?"

"One of has a key around their neck." Gregor cut the rope from the overgrown rodents neck. He went to the door and opened it. Luxa rushed in.

"Aurora, are you alright?"

"I am fine." The flier opened her wings a little.

"We have to get out of here." Emmett looked at Gregor. "Help me lift Heb onto Eros."

Gregor helped him and then Emmett got on while Luxa got onto Aurora.

"Are you alright to fly?"

"Yes Luxa."

Boots, who was in Luxa's lap, looked at Heb. "Him dead?"

"No. He is just hurt." Luxa smiled down at Boots.

"Overlander, ride Hera." Emmett told him, settling Heb on Eros.

Gregor nodded, getting onto the flier. Isaac got onto his and they were off. It seemed that Emmett had already knew where to go and where the gnawers were because he led them straight out, no problems.

"So you're Heb's bond?" Gregor asked Hera after they had been out of the cave for awhile.

"Yes." She purred out. "I knew your bond, Ares."

"Really? He never mentioned you."

"I was his mother."

Gregor mentally bit his tongue. "Oh."

He didn't speak the rest of the flight back. Once they landed, Mareth was in their faces.

"Luxa!" He looked at her. "I told you not to-"

"Silence, Mareth. I must get Aurora's wing checked on and Heb has a head injury."

Mareth allowed Luxa to go with her bond over to where the medics were. Gregor got off Hera, allowing the bat to fly away, headed off to the medic tent. Mareth looked at Gregor.

"You knew that I told her not to go and yet you allowed her to go and, not only went with her, you took the younger children too." Mareth looked hard at Gregor.

Gregor shrugged, uncomfortable with the situation. "We just thought that they got lost. We didn't think-"

"That's right, you didn't think." Mareth shook his head. "Go. I have other things to deal with."

Gregor walked off, in search of his sister and Hazard. When he found them, they were witting under a tree with Nerissa.

"Hey Gregor." Lizzie got up and hugged him. "Where's Boots?"

"With Luxa." He hugged her back. "Hey Hazard."

"Hi." The boy looked back at his cousin. "So he's dead?"

"Yes Hazard."

"Didn't you know that he was going to do that? Can't you see the future?"

"I do not choose what I see."

"Was he older than you?"

"Yes."

"Why doesn't Luxa ever talk about him?"

"Because she was very close to him and misses him."

"Don't you miss him?"

"Yes but you miss your father and you still speak of him." Nerissa looked at Gregor. "Gregor knew Henry too, for a short time."

"Really? Did you like him?"

Gregor stared at Nerissa. "Henry was…different."

"Why are you talking about him?"

Gregor turned and saw Luxa walking over to them, Boots in her arms. Nerissa smiled at her cousin. "Hazard said that he heard someone mention him and wanted to know about him."

Luxa looked away before setting Boots on the ground. Gregor decided to change the subject. "How's your wing, Aurora?"

"It is fine. Nothing a little rest won't heal."

Boots went over to her brother. "Home?"

Gregor sighed. "Not yet. Soon."

Hazard looked at Luxa. "Now what are we going to do?"

"I have things to do. You will have to entertain yourself."

Hazard didn't look thrilled but he just stood up. "Come on Lizzie; let's go 'entertain ourselves'."

Lizzie followed him, taking Boots with her. Luxa rolled her eyes before walking off with her bond. Gregor smiled at Nerissa before following her.

"So what do you have to do?" Gregor asked, catching up.

"I have battle plans to approve or disapprove and we now also have to figure out what we are going to do now that the spinners have chosen the gnawers side." Luxa looked at him. "I'm sure that you could find something to do unless you want to stand there and do nothing. It is your choice."

"Right. I am sure that I will find something to do."

* * *

"And you took him on all by yourself?"

"Well no. I had my bond, Ares with-"

"And you killed him?" Another girl asked.

"Yeah. But Ares-"

"And then you save the queen from the jungle, right?" Yet another looked at him with wonder.

"I didn't really save her-"

"And you found the cure for the plague right?"

"Yeah, well I help. I mean others were-"

"And then you killed King Gorger right?"

"Again I was there but I didn't do it alone-"

"Wow, you're like so brave." One girl fawned.

"Yeah." The others agreed.

"Are all the guys in the overland like you?"

Gregor blushed, scratching the back of his head. "I guess…"

"You're so amazing." Another smiled at him.

"Thanks?" Though he was enjoying the attention, part of him felt uncomfortable.

"Why do you spend all your time with Luxa?" One ventured to ask what all the others wanted to ask. "She so…cold."

"No. She's just-"

"The way she's constantly bringing everyone else down. She's so full of herself."

"Well yeah but she's-"

"She thinks that just because she's queen that she's better than all of us." One commented and the others nodded in agreement. "You're probably her only human friend."

"Really?"

"Yeah." One girl rolled her eyes. "But forget her. Tell us more about you and your adventures."

"I really don't know what to-"

"What about when you were in the Firelands?" Another offered. "Weren't you sad when all of those nibblers died?"

"Yeah, it was-"

"Did you cry?"

"I-"

"I bet you did. You're so sensitive like that."

"Yeah." Another agreed.

"No, I'm n-"

"I love your hair." One reached out to touch it.

"Thanks."

"It's so soft." Another agreed, also touching it.

"Uh-"

"Gregor." Luxa walked up. The group of girls narrowed their eyes at her.

"Hello Luxa." One smiled at her.

"Hello Suzy." Luxa looked at her briefly, glaring right back, before looking at Gregor. "Your sisters are looking for you."

Gregor breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright. Bye…girls."

"Bye Gregor!" They all called out as he walked away with Luxa.

Once they were out of earshot of the group, Luxa spoke. "I see that you've made friends."

"Yeah, sort of."

Gregor honestly hadn't meant to attract the attention he had. One girl approached him and started asking him and soon enough, at least twenty girls were surrounding him, all wanting to know stuff. He had to admit, it was a nice change from how girl treated him in the overland. However, he wished he knew that he would spend two hours answering things. He figured that they would get bored with him after a few minutes but that, unfortunately, was not the case.

"So did you finish what you had to do?" He asked after a second.

"Yes, for now." She sighed. "Hazard and your sisters have something to show us."

"What?"

"I do not know. They came to me and told me to find you. Sorry for interrupting you and…them."

"Luxa."

"What?" Luxa looked at him. "If you want to talk to-"

Gregor grabbed her hand, shutting her up. They held hands the whole way until they found Hazard and the girls.

"Hi Gregor!" Boots smiled at him.

"Hey." He smiled back at her. "What did you guys want to show us?"

"Hazard's physic…or so he says." Lizzie told her brother.

"I am!"

"Hazard, I have important things to do-"

"Like what? Hold Gregor's hand?" Hazard glared at her. "Now, if you would kindly be quiet and let me do my work…"

Luxa rolled her eyes. "Go ahead."

Hazard looked at Gregor. "I'm going to read your mind Gregor. Please sit in front of me."

The ex-warrior looked and Luxa. She shrugged. Gregor let for of her hand and sat down. Hazard stood in front of him and put his hand on his head, closing his eyes.

"Okay, think of a color."

"…Okay."

"Is it blue?"

"Nope red."

Luxa giggled. "Hazard I-"

"Wait!" Hazard opened his eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Gregor smiled. "Hazard-"

"Hold on." He closed his eyes again. "This of a color again."

"…Got it."

Hazard took a deep breath. "Is it…yellow?"

"No orange."

"Hazard, not that this isn't interesting but I am sure that we could all find better use of our time."

"It worked with Boots!" Hazard insisted.

"Was the color purple?" Gregor asked standing.

"…Yes."

"That's her favorite color. If it's not that, it's green. Huh Boots?"

"Yes!" She jumped. "Go see Temp?"

"Not right now." Gregor looked at Lizzie. "Why didn't you tell him that?"

"Because I thought it would be funny to embarrass him."

"Lizzie, that's not nice."

"But he called me stupid!"

"Hazard!" Luxa looked at him. "Did you?"

"…Maybe."

"Why are you two so mean to each other?" Gregor shook his head.

Luxa sighed. "Hazard, say that you are sorry."

"Sorry Lizzie." He mumbled under his breath.

"Lizzie, tell him sorry too." Gregor looked at his sister.

"For what?"

"Uh…for whatever you did to make him call you stupid."

"Sorry." Lizzie glared at her brother. "I thought that you guys had something better to do?"

"We do." Luxa walked off, Gregor following. After a minute, she asked, "Aren't you going to go find your friends?"

Gregor sighed. "Luxa let it go."

"There is nothing to let go."

"Come on, just admit you're jealous so we can move on."

"Jealous?" Luxa looked at him. "I am far from…jealous."

"Whatever Luxa."

"I'm not!" The queen seemed insulted. "I do not get jealous. And if I ever did, it would not be over some stupid overlander."

"Did you not just yell at Hazard for calling Lizzie stupid?"

"Well she's not. You are though, so it makes it okay."

Gregor shook his head. "You are so…annoying."

"Annoying?"

"Yeah, annoying."

Luxa crossed her arms. "Fine. If I annoy you so much, why don't you go do something else?"

Gregor shrugged. "It's either you or those girls."

"Then go find them."

Why does she have to make everything so difficult? "I don't want to, Luxa. I would rather be with you."

"…Oh."

Yeah, oh. "Anyways, now what do you want to do?"

Luxa shrugged, still slightly embarrassed for feeling the way she had. "We should probably get you another sword and I need two more daggers."

Gregor nodded. "Have the diggers bothered you since the gnawers attacked you?"

"No. We have not seen them since we gave them some of our land. I would assume that the gnawers have left them alone too." Looking at him, Luxa asked, "Boots really wants to leave. Are you sure that you shouldn't take her back? The crawlers have sided with us, regardless of whether she is head or not."

"If I go back now, my mom won't let me come back." Gregor looked at her. "I met Hera."

"Yes, I know."

"Well…Ares never mentioned her and-"

"She and Ares did not get along."

"Why?"

"I do not know for sure. Hera is very…different. Many fliers do not have strong ties with their families though, Gregor." She shrugged. "But many people and fliers did not like Ares. I would not put to much thought into it."

"Right, okay." He agreed, still wondering. "Are you going to ask Nerissa about what Isaac said? About someone close to you dying?"

Luxa sighed. "Nerissa…sees a lot of things. Some have already happened. I have had many people in my past that have died that I have cared about."

"Oh." He smiled at her. "I'm guessing that Isaac is not part of the army?"

"What makes you say- Oh, you mean when he didn't fight?"

"Yeah."

Luxa smirked. "I have never seen him fight but then again, he wouldn't be good with a sword. That is not his weapon of choice."

"What is then?"

"Water."

They both laughed.


	8. Chapter 8

Gregor and the Hidden Prophecies

Chapter 8

"Temp!"

"Remember me, the princess, remembers me?"

Boots ran over to him while Luxa crossed her arms. "Temp, I have brought you hear to discuss plans. I thought that you would be more suited to talk to than any other crawler, as you have had much experience."

Gregor rolled his eyes. He knew that the only reason Luxa brought Tem p her was that Boots wanted her too. Luxa, though, refused to admit to that.

"Help the queen, Temp will, help the queen."

Luxa nodded before looking at the flier that brought him there. "Thank you Alcmene."

The purple flier fluttered her wings and nodded before taking off. Boots patted Temp's head.

Boots smiled. "Miss Temp."

"Miss me, the princess, missed me?"

Hazard went over to Temp. "Can you help me with my crawler?"

"Help, Temp will, help."

Hazard smiled. "Alright, let's start now."

Gregor started walking off, Luxa following. "Do you have anything to do today?"

"I will later but for now, no."

"Then what do you want to do?" The past two days they had just hung out, not really talking much, just enjoying being around each other. Now though, they were starting to get bored of that.

Luxa shrugged. "I have to stay around here incase someone needs me."

Gregor sighed. "I guess we could go back to the cave and-"

"Wait." Luxa looked around. "Have you seen Aurora?"

"No. Why?"

"I forgot."

"Forgot what?"

Luxa smiled at him. "I have to go find her. She needed me to do something for her. I'll see you later Gregor."

"Wait. Luxa!"

He sighed, not even running after her. Now what did he have to do? He was walking back to where he had left Boots and Hazard when he ran into three of the girls from two days ago.

"Hi Overlander." One smiled at him.

"Oh, hey." He kept walking but they just fell into step with him.

"Where are you off to?" The one on his right asked.

"Nowhere."

"Then do you want to do something with us?"

Gregor shrugged. "What?"

* * *

Gregor put his sword back before going over to the boy and holding out his hand to help him up. The guy just glared at him, standing on his own.

"Told you he could beat you." One of the girls, whose name Gregor found out was Martha, taunted the boy. He was about sixteen and the girls had said that he wanted to fight Gregor. The ex-warrior was against it at first but eventually decided to do it when the sixteen year old started calling him names for not wanting to do it. They had fought four times now and Gregor beat him each time.

"I was going easy on him!" The boy, Edward, insisted.

"Oh come off it Ed." Another girl, Jane, shook her head. "You just got beat by a twelve year old."

Edward glared at her. "I told you, I just don't want to hurt him."

"Gregor could beat you with his eyes closed." The one seated on the ground, Elinor, giggled.

"N-"

"Edward!" A younger boy ran up. "Father wants to speak with you."

"About what?"

The boy shrugged. "I do not know. Hey it's the warrior!"

"Yeah and your brother just got his butt kicked by him."

"Silence Elinor!" Edward stomped away while his brother approached Gregor.

"You're like the warrior? The warrior?"

"Um…yeah."

"Nash go away." Martha stood up. "Come on Gregor. Let's go do something else."

"Hey, I can be around the overlander too!"

Elinor rolled her eyes. "Don't you have someone else to bother? Gregor doesn't have time for you."

"Well, actually, I'm not really doing anything so…" Gregor looked at the boy. He looked about ten. "We could-"

"Gregor." Hazard walked up. "Have you seen Luxa?"

"No." Gregor shook his head. "Last time I saw her, she was looking for Aurora."

"Oh." Hazard frowned.

"Where's Temp and Boots?"

"With Lizzie." Hazard looked at the girls. "Why do you hang out with so many girls?"

Gregor blushed a little. "How about I help you look for Luxa?"

Hazard shrugged. "Okay."

The three girls sighed. Martha looked at Gregor. "Don't you want to go do something with us?"

"Uh…maybe later. Come on Nash, you can come too."

"Cool!" The boy followed him and Hazard away from the girls. "How do you get all those girls to follow you around?"

"Yeah." Hazard looked at Gregor. "Don't you hate it?"

"Why would he hate it? I wish I had girls following me around."

"No. Girls suck. Lizzie's annoying and Luxa is bossy."

"No. Girls area awesome." Nash looked at Gregor. "Right?"

"I guess…There's nothing wrong with girls Hazard. Lizzie just knows a lot of things and likes to show it to you. And Luxa is bossy but she's always been like that." Gregor looked down at him. "You can't base your decision on girls from them two because then, everyone in the world would be gay."

"What's that?"

Gregor cringed. "Uh…Like when another guy likes another guy,"

"Like how you like Mareth."

"No! In a more romantic way."

"EW!" The two younger boys looked sick.

He sighed. "Just forget it."

They were quiet for a minute before Nash spoke again. "So you're like really good with a sword?"

"Yeah I guess."

"Could you teach me?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Me too?" Hazard asked.

"Y- No. Luxa doesn't want you to fight, Hazard, you know that."

"Luxa doesn't let me do anything." He grumbled as they walked up on Luxa, who was talking to Emmett. She looked over at them at the sound of her name. Rolling her eyes, she looked back at Emmett.

"Are you sure that we are prepared for another attack? The last one did not go very well."

"They are weakened from the digger attack that happened yesterday. Now is our golden opportunity."

Luxa sighed, nodding. "Alright. How soon can we have a group ready for first attack?"

"We have one now."

Luxa raised her eyebrows but nodded. "Then we shall leave now. Tell Mareth."

Emmett nodded, running off. Luxa turned to boys. "Gregor, we are going into battle."

"Yeah. Do you need my help?"

Luxa shrugged. "I would suppose. If anything, it would not hurt to have you there."

Gregor nodded a little. "Alright."

"I need you to go to the others and inform Ripred first." Luxa told him. "I will get you a flier. I will give the flier directions on where to take you from there."

Luxa and Gregor walked off, Hazard and Nash following.

"What do you want Hazard?" Luxa asked after a minute. "I'm busy."

He glared at her. "Fine. I'll go play with someone else then."

Nash watched him walk off and then looked at his hero. "Bye Gregor. I'll see you when you get back!"

"Bye Nash." He watched him run off after Hazard. "What flier are you going to give me?"

"Alcmene has been there to help me recently. Is that alright?" Luxa looked at him. He was in shock that she was even asking.

"Yeah, sure."

Luxa nodded, her face serious. "When you go inform Perdita too."

Gregor was shocked. "She isn't here with-"

"No." Luxa said shortly. She went over to her bond, who was with Alcmene and another flier that Gregor had never seen. "Aurora, we have to go."

Aurora opened her wings. "Where?"

"We are going to the battle." Luxa looked at Alcmene. "Would you take the Overlander to the others and then meet us at the last battle site?"

Alcmene fluttered her wings, nodding. "Alright."

Luxa got onto her bond before taking off. Gregor looked at Alcmene. "So are you ready to go?"

"Yes." The bat opened her wings. "Let us hurry before the army leaves so that we can meet them before they begin the attack."

"Alright." Gregor got on her back. "Let's go."

The fly to where the others was pretty long and boring with out someone to talk to. Of course, he had Alcmene but he didn't really know her. Plus, she seemed pretty content with the silence. After awhile, she did speak.

"We are coming up on them, Overlander."

Gregor nodded. "Okay."

When they landed, everyone looked up. Gregor got off the bat, looking around. Great, now all he had to do is find Ripred.

"I'll be back, Alcmene."

"Take your time." She went over to a group of fliers. At least she's having fun. He walked off towards where he remembered Ripred taking him his first day back in the Underland. He went into the tent and there was the old rat that he had learned to tolerate if not like.

"But what if we-" The gnawer started but stopped and looked up from the map. "Overlander, how nice of you to join us. Finally gotten tired of my bond too, huh?"

Gregor rolled his eyes. "Luxa wanted me to tell you that they are attacking Regalia right now."

"That is not wise." A man said, looking at him.

"Emmett and Mareth think so. Apparently the Digger's just attack-"

"What?" Ripred had a sudden interest in the Warrior. "The Digger's attacked?"

Gregor nodded. "Yeah. Luxa also wanted me to tell-"

"When? When did they attack?" The man asked.

"Who?" A woman asked, walking into the tent. She walked past Gregor and went to stand next to the man, looking over his shoulder at the battle plans.

"The Digger's. The boy says that there was just an attack."

The woman, who he recognized as Perdita, looked at him. "No one has reported this. How do you know?"

Gregor shrugged, uncomfortable with the whole thing. "Emmett was tell Luxa about it and she told me to tell you guys that they were attacking-"

"We must go, now." Perdita looked at the man. "Javan, we have to attack now."

"No." Gregor said, surprising not only the people in the room but also himself. "If you attack, you could mess up the others attack."

"The boy is right."

"We would be better prepared and organized than they would." The man, Javan, argued.

"You didn't even know about the attack." Gregor looked at him.

"I would watch if I were you, Javan." Ripred smiled. "The Overlander is very protective of his lover."

Gregor shook his head. "I don't have time for this. Do what you want, I don't care. Mess up their attack but don't complain when you are stuck here even longer."

"Gregor-" He heard one of the start but he didn't care anymore.

"Now look, he's offended." He heard Ripred mock him. He ignored him and went to where he left Alcmene.

"Finish?" She asked.

"Yeah. Let's go." He got on her back.

* * *

Alcmene landed near where Aurora was. Luxa looked over at them as Gregor walked towards them. "Did you tell them?"

"Yeah."

She gave him a look but said nothing. She turned back to Emmett. "So we will go in?"

"Soon." Emmett looked at Gregor. "We will be taking Regalia by surprise. We know that there are two guards at the gate but-"

"Yeah whatever." Luxa and Emmett both raised an eyebrow. Gregor, however, was tired and just wanted to get this over with. "What do you want me to do?"

"We do not think that we will have much use of you." Emmett turned away, headed to talk to someone else. "But we may so stick around."

Once he was gone, Luxa looked at Gregor. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, do not tell me. But do not let it effect you today. This is very important. If your attitude is going to interfere with our plans-"

"I'm not the one that got you guys in this mess in the first place."

Luxa looked away from him and at Alcmene. "If he needs to go into battle, would you be willing to go with him?"

"Yes." The bat nodded.

Luxa walked away, headed off in the direction that Emmett had went. The two female bats started talking softly. Gregor sighed. He had made Luxa mad. Great… After about ten minutes, Luxa came back.

"The attack has started. We killed the guards." She looked at him. "What did Ripred say?"

"Nothing."

Luxa looked at him funny. "Ripred said nothing?"

"Nothing worth repeating."

Luxa sighed and was about to say something when some guy walked up. He stood before them. "Queen Luxa, Emmett requests you and the Overlander."

Luxa nodded as the man ran off. "Aurora, Alcmene, come."

They flew above them, headed to where a group of soldiers are. Emmett looked at Luxa. "We are not off to a very good start. We have lost many soldiers fast."

Luxa looked at him, hard. "I thought that you said that the Gnawers would be weakened?"

"They are." His eyes became as stone cold as hers. "I cannot help it if they are stronger than us."

Gregor didn't even listen as Luxa retorted. Instead, he looked out to where the stone gate surrounded the city. There was fighting going on in there. He hadn't been in a good fight forever. No! He shook his head. He hated when he had thoughts like these. And yet, he could help but feel some bloodlust.

"I want to go in." He mumbled but Luxa and Emmett were to busy arguing to listen. "Luxa!"

"What Overlander?" She turned her glared on him.

"I'm gong in now." He looked at Alcmene. "Are you alright with that?"

Alcmene nodded. Luxa, however, shook her head. "No."

Gregor looked at her. "What?"

"We do not need you in there right now." She crossed her arms. "There are enough soldiers in."

Gregor rolled his eyes, getting onto the purple flier. "I don't have time for this."

"Gregor." Luxa glared at him. "You cannot go."

"Please remind me when this became your decision?"

"I am Queen-"

"Not my queen."

"There is no armor available right now." Luxa smirked, thinking that she had won.

He shrugged. "Restricts me anyways. Let's go Alcmene."

"Overlander!" She yelled at him as the flier took off.

Gregor drew his sword as Alcmene flew through the now open gate. There was dead everywhere, mostly humans. Gregor didn't focus on them. If he did, he would start feeling sick. Instead, he focused on the Gnawer coming up on the right.

"Gnawer on the right." Alcmene purred.

"I got him." Gregor mumbled. It only took him half a minute to take the Gnawer out. After ten minutes of fighting, Alcmene realized that she did not need to tell Gregor where the enemies were. It was as if he knew their moves before they knew them. He was in the zone at the moment. Now that he was alone and didn't have to worry about his sister, Hazard, Luxa, or Aurora, he could concentrate on what mattered. Killing Gnawers. When Alcmene made a noise, one that he had not heard in a long time. He had been fending off two Gnawers from her right wing and had not noticed one that had clutched onto her neck, pulling out her throat. She fell like a boulder. When Gregor hit the ground, he flashed back to Ares. But this wasn't Ares, this was Alcmene.

"Alcmene!" He yelled, scrambling off the now dead flier. She was…gone. Gregor, though, did not have time to mourn her. A Gnawer tried to slash his face but he blocked it, slicing the oversized rodent's claw off. As he was working his way through a group of Gnawer's, he saw it. As if Alcmene dying wasn't enough, he saw his face, the face that he knew would haunt him for awhile.

"Edward." He muttered. The boy's body had a huge hole in it, as if a Gnawer just ripped his heart out. Gregor closed his eyes. Since he started, he had kept his rager senses under some control. But now, he let it take full control. He was going to kill every fucking one of these Goddamn creatures. He knew that at some point a random flier flew him up to the High Halls, where there were more Gnawers to kill. And he killed every single one that he saw. There was not an ounce of remorse. If it was up to him they would all die a slow painful death.

"Overlander!" He felt someone grab his arms, holding him back. "Stop, it's over!"

Everything came back into focus. He looked at the man who had stopped him. "York?"

He nodded. "Come. The Gnawer's have surrendered…what is left of them anyways."

York…wasn't he dead? Dead…like Alcmene and Edward. He didn't care why York was here, he was too tired to care. He felt himself get on a Flier with York. When they landed, York went to a general but Gregor just started walking. He felt weird inside. Why did it matter that Alcmene and Edward were dead? He didn't know them. If he had listened to his mother, he would have never met them.

"Gregor!" He felt someone hug him. Luxa… "Many were saying that you were dead. They saw Alcmene go down but then others were saying that you were fighting in the-"

"We won, right?" He asked. All he wanted to do was go to sleep.

"Thanks to you! According to many, you killed more Gnawers than-"

"Take me out of here." He didn't really care at the moment what he had done.

"What?"

"I don't want to be here right now. Are we leaving soon?"

Luxa let him go. "I have to go to the others. I could get someone else-"

"No. I'll go with you."

The girl nodded. "Let's go."

He followed her to where Aurora was. She got on and he got on behind her, laying his head on her shoulder.

"Gregor, what is wrong?"

"Nothing." He mumbled. "Just…Edward died."

"Who?"

"Edward."

"I do not-"

"Those girls that you saw me with before, some of them took me to this boy that thought he could beat me. We fought and I won."

"You…killed him?"

"No." He sighed, continuing. "I saw him, out there after Alcmene…died. His heart was gone."

Luxa was silent for a moment. "There are many casualties in war Gregor. I knew Alcmene for years, she was very important to me."

"Then why don't you care?"

Luxa shook her head. "I do care, Gregor. I care deeply."

"Yeah? You sure don't show it."

"Alcmene did not fear death, Overlander. She knew that she was lucky, that she had lived longer than she should have. I would not have put you out there with her if I did not think that each of you was good for each other."

"Luxa, we are here." Aurora said. Gregor lifted his head from Luxa's shoulder. As they landed, the Underlanders that had given up their faith in their queen booed. Luxa ignored them, that annoying, slightly arrogant smirk she always had never leaving her face. Perdita, Ripred, and Javan approached them.

"We offer our medics to any help that you need." Javan said before Luxa could speak.

"And we thank you." Luxa nodded at him. "But that is not why we are here."

Gregor felt so tired. How long had he been fighting? When he had come with Alcmene here before, everyone was asleep and most fires out. Now though, the place the others were staying was live with action.

"Then what is it? Have you decided to finally accept that you are not fit to rule just yet?" Perdita asked, her voice as kind as always. To Gregor, it didn't sound like she hated Luxa, as some did but that she just thought that Luxa wasn't ready to lead.

"No." Luxa's eyes flared. "I think that I have proved that I am ready to rule. The Gnawers have surrendered to us."

It was deadly silent for a moment before a loud cheer erupted from the crowd. Luxa smiled.

"Are you…serious?" Javan asked.

"Very. The Gnawers will meet with me in the Jungle tomorrow to discuss things."

Emmett, who had followed them on Eros went over to Gregor. "Our oh so gracious queen can not take all the credit. We won because the Warrior saved our asses. We would have surely lost without him."

"He has fought, has he?" Ripred looked at him. Besides he blood covered shirt, there was no hint that Gregor was even in a scuffle, much less a battle. "He is completely unharmed."

Luxa smiled at Gregor. "He's just that good of fighter."

Ripred snorted. "Well, as long as you think so."

"I would think so too, Ripred." Emmett looked at him. "He has just killed between fifty and a hundred Gnawers and yet you look at him as if he disappoints you. Or is that envy?"

Ripred ignored Emmett. "I guess, as I am your bond and all, I will help you with talking to the Gnawers."

Luxa rolled her eyes. "I have no use for you there but if you need to feel important, then you can show up."

Ripred's tail curled. He was annoyed. Honestly, Gregor just wanted sleep. Luxa went back over to Aurora.

"Come Gregor." She called. He went over to her, getting behind her again. Aurora took off. Gregor laid his head on Luxa's shoulder again.

"Gregor, are you sure that you are alright?"

"I just don't get how you don't care."

"People and others die all the time here. It's no shock, when someone does." Luxa sighed. "I have lost many people before and now it bothers me when someone I know loses their light but it doesn't matter. There is nothing I can do about it."

Gregor shook his head. "They are right. You are cold."

"Who is right? Who said that I am cold?" Luxa was offended.

"No one. It doesn't matter."

Luxa sighed. "What do you want Overlander? For me to cry over Alcmene and Edward?"

"I just want to go home."

"…Oh." Luxa swallowed. "I will have someone take you as soon as we get back. Have a good time in Vir…that place."

"Luxa, I'm not going there." He closed his eyes. He was so tired right now. He hadn't slept well since he got here. "I'm going home to take Lizzie and Boots back. I don't want to go back. I want to stay here. I'm going to tell them that, to their faces."

Luxa was silent. "You seem tired Gregor." Gee, really? "Sleep."

He almost said something but he couldn't. He fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

It was thirty minutes later when he Luxa's voice woke him up. He didn't move or show any signs of being awake, wishing that he could just fall asleep. She wasn't talking to him anyways.

"But, Aurora, I do not understand why he is so turn up about that boy." Luxa said. "He knows that people here do not live long."

"Maybe it is something else. He has seemed off since he got back from telling Ripred about the attack."

Luxa shook her head. "He was just mad. I could tell. Ripred makes him mad all the time. But Alcmene dying and that boy has messed him up."

"He will bounce back." Aurora assured her bond.

Gregor felt Luxa rub his arms, which were wrapped around her waist. "I suppose."

"Alcmene is a great loss though." Aurora commented.

"She has always thought she was on borrowed time." Luxa replied. "She felt that it was her fault that my mother died, that she should have been there."

"She was a good bond, regardless."

"Yes." The queen agreed. "I knew that she would protect Gregor."

"You care greatly for him."

Luxa didn't comment. "Howard should forgive me soon. York is alive, as is Susannah and…Stellovet."

"How did they live?"

"They were prisoners. The other children died though."

"Why did they all assume that they were died?" Aurora questioned.

"The Gnawers burned most of the city. Bodies were burned to the point of not being able to identify them. They assumed that they were all dead. There were bodies in York and Susannah's bedroom, where Hero, Kent, and Chim were so they thought that they were them."

"Stellovet is to evil to be killed." Aurora said with a flier laugh.

Luxa laughed a little too. "Ripred was so upset when he found out that Gregor had killed all of those Gnawers. He always gives Gregor too little credit."

"And you don't? You worried about him the whole time."

"I did not. I had equal concern over him as every other soldier out there."

"Luxa, I know that you were. You do not have to hide it from me."

"What of him not wanting to go home? Of him staying here?"

"You would like that though, right?"

"Well, yes but there are no prophecies about him being here. Without those, other's will grow tired of him." Luxa shook her head. "And, he also should be with his parents."

""You do not have parents and you are fine."

"Aurora." Luxa sighed. "But I would give anything to have my parents back."

Aurora changed the subject. "Did you do that favor for me?"

"Yes." Luxa nodded. "Agron will not have very many friends after what I did."

Aurora laughed that Flier laugh. "I love you Luxa."

"I love you too." Luxa smiled. Gregor fell back to sleep after that.


	9. Chapter 9

**Aryaman, hi. ****7HockeyStarVampireObsessed7****, don't like Twilight but didn't even think about Edward the Vampire when I wrote that chapter. Now that I know though, it does bring me a little joy, yes.**

Gregor and the Hidden Prophecies

Chapter 9

"Gregor." Luxa whispered. "We will be there in a few minutes."

He lifted his head from her shoulder, keeping his arms around her waist. "What are we going to do once we get there?"

Luxa shrugged. "The Gnawers will be here on the morrow but as for the rest of today…nothing."

"When will you guys be back in Regalia?"

"I do not know. We left soldiers behind to make sure the Gnawers hold true that they will evacuate." Luxa sighed. "Then there is all the damage I can only assume they have done, since I did not go in. Was it bad?"

Gregor shrugged as best he could while he was holding her. "I wasn't really that focused on what the place looked like."

"Oh." Luxa looked down as they came on the jungle, Aurora starting to descend. "I am truly sorry about your friend."

"Wasn't my friend. I didn't even know him."

Luxa said nothing to this, getting off Aurora when they touched down. Apparently, some generals or soldiers had already made it home because there was a loud cheer that went up as Gregor got down.

Hazard and his sisters ran up to them. Boots reached up for him to pick her up and he did. "Hey Boots."

"Gregor win?"

"Yep."

Boots clapped her hands. "Ya! Home?"

"Soon."

Temp walked up, going to Luxa. "Help, did Temp, help?"

"Yes, you helped a lot." Luxa smiled at him. "With…emotional support."

Lizzie looked at Gregor. "Do we have to go back now?"

"You two do."

"If we have to go, so do you."

He sighed. "We'll talk later Lizzie."

"You took Alcmene, right?" Hazard asked. "Where is she?"

Luxa didn't even blink. "She lost her light."

Hazard looked at her. "Really?"

"Yes."

Hazard shrugged. "Now who will Gregor use a Flier?"

Luxa rolled her eyes at him before walking off. Gregor sat his little sister down. "What do you guys want to do now?"

Boots jumped up and down. "Play tag."

Gregor shook his head. "Let's do something-"

"Gregor!" Mareth walked up. "I heard that you are the reason for us going home."

"Yeah, I guess…"

Mareth gave him a quick hug. "And you are completely uninjured!"

"Yeah." Gregor shrugged. "I don't really remember it anyways."

Mareth looked confused for a second before realizing what he meant. "Oh. I thought that you were learning to control your-"

"I am. I mean, I can. I chose not to."

Mareth just nodded. "Have you seen Luxa?"

"She went somewhere with Aurora." Gregor shrugged.

Mareth nodded before walking away. Gregor finally gave in and played tag, only after Boots whined about it. It was starting to get late so, after they ate a dinner of some fruit, before Gregor put them all to bed. After that, he went to find Luxa. He was walking around when he saw Aurora.

"Hey, Aurora."

She turned to face him. She had been talking to another Flier. "Hello Overlander."

"Uh…have you seen Luxa?"

Aurora paused for a second before speaking. "I'll take you to her."

Gregor got on her back. "Where is she?"

Aurora didn't answer. Instead she just flew higher. At one point she flew over the top of the cave, which was very tall so it took a while. When she got to the top, there was Luxa. She was sitting with her knees pulled to her chest, eyes closed. When Aurora touched down, she spoke, keeping her eyes shut.

"What is it Aurora? I thought that you were with Crius."

"The Overlander wanted you."

"Tell him I'm busy."

"She's busy, Overlander." Apparently, Aurora did have a sarcastic side.

Luxa opened her eyes. "Gregor."

"Hey. If you're busy-"

"No." She closed her eyes again. Gregor slowly got off of Aurora and went over to Luxa. Aurora closed her wings, apparently planning on staying. Gregor sat down next to Luxa.

"What did you want?"

"Nothing. Did Mareth ever talk to you?"

"Yes."

Gregor looked out from the view that they had from the top of the cave. It was of the area where the people had been camping out since they came here. As it was so late, it was hard to see anything down there but there were still a few fires burning. He could see outlines of adults and children. He looked over at Luxa, wondering if it ever hurt, seeing everyone else with their siblings and parents. She had no one…well that wasn't true. She had Nerissa, Aurora, Hazard, and of course Vikus. She had a family, he decided, just not a normal one. But who's to define what's normal and what's not?

"What Overlander?"

"Huh?"

"You're staring at me." Luxa still didn't open her eyes.

"How would you know? You're eyes are closed."

"You wouldn't know that if you weren't looking at me."

Gregor turned his gaze back to the view of people. "Whatever."

Luxa sighed. "Do you feel better now?"

"What?"

"You were acting…odd earlier."

"I was just…drained."

"Drained?"

"I was tired. I was fighting for while."

"As long as you're okay."

"What? The great Luxa wanting to know if _I'm_ okay? Should I get the medics now or-"

"Gregor."

He smiled at her. "Hey Luxa?"

"Hmmm?"

"How many crowns do you have?"

She peeked at him before closing her eyes again. "As many as I need. If I lose one, then it can be replaced."

"So they have no meaning?"

"Meaning?"

"Yeah, like…" He thought for a second before speaking. "You're parents crowns, would they mean anything to you?"

Luxa sucked in a breath. "No. I have other things of theirs but not their crowns. Why did you want to know?"

"No reason." He moved slightly so that his hands were over her head. "I just always wanted a crown."

"Wh- Gregor!"

He took the crown off her head before standing up. "Come on, just get another one."

"No! Give it back." She ran after as he ran further back on the cave. It led to a smaller cave. "Gregor!"

"Come on Luxa, you have to catch me!" He yelled, running into the cave. He was deep into it when she tackled him to the ground.

"I caught you, now give it back." She was on top of him, glaring down at him.

"Nope." He sat up, making her fall. "Let me try it on first."

She grabbed at it but he just put it on his head. "Gregor-"

"I bet I look better with one on than you do."

She rolled her eyes, reaching up. He thought that she was taking it back but she straightened it on his head a little. "You've got a big head."

"No, you just have a small head."

He noticed that they were really close…close enough for him to kiss her. He moved his head closer but Luxa didn't notice. She moved to get her back her crown. Her moving made Gregor miss and fall.

"Gregor." She rolled her eyes. "Stop messing around."

He put his hand on the cave wall to help him up. When he did, he felt something. It felt like something was carved into the cave wall.

"Luxa, feel this."

"Feel what?" She raised an eyebrow.

He sighed. "The cave. I meant the cave."

He grabbed her hand and slowly ran it down the wall. "It feels like…writing."

"Yeah." Gregor nodded.

"Wait here." Luxa stood up.

"Luxa-"

"I'll be right back." She ran out of the cave. He heard wings rustle and knew that Aurora and Luxa went somewhere. He sat there, waiting for her. When she returned, she had a torch.

"Move." She pushed him with one hand and sat down.

"Wow." He mumbled. "There's a lot of them,"

"Yeah." Luxa muttered. "A lot."

"Are they…Sandwiches?"

Luxa shrugged. "I-I don't know."

Gregor silently read one, before swallowing. "Oh."

"What?" Luxa looked at the one he was reading, slowly looking at him. "Gregor, we do not even know if Sandwich wrote these. We do not even know if I am the queen that it mentions."

Gregor shrugged. "We should go tell someone, right?"

"Yeah." Luxa stood up. "Come on."

They were walking out of the cave when Luxa suddenly kissed him. She then got on Aurora. He stood there for a second before also getting on her.

* * *

"They look authentic enough." Mareth shook his head, walking out of the cave. It was the next day and Mareth and Emmett decided to take a look at the supposed prophecies. "But why would Sandwich hide them?"

Luxa shrugged. "I do not know."

"Maybe because you guys always worry about them so much." Gregor offered. "Maybe not knowing about it was the best."

Emmett looked at him. "Why were you two up here anyways?"

"Uh…"

"Why does it matter anyways?" Luxa saved him.

Emmett looked at her. "What if we needed you and could not find you because you were up here doing with ever with the Warrior."

"Not the Warrior." Mareth smiled at him. "I read a few of those. Looks like we are now in the presence of the Hero."

"The Hero." Gregor shook his head. "I don't think that I want to be the Hero."

"I do not want you to be either." Luxa looked at the wall. They had both read the new prophecies multiple times but they still didn't get it. If Gregor was the Hero now, who was this Guardian? The last prophecy mentioning the Hero both sent chills down their spines. The Hero was to die…only to have the Guardian replace Gregor…in more ways than one.

"Don't you have to go meet the Gnawers soon?"

Luxa nodded. "Then, tomorrow, we will be back in Regalia."

* * *

"Luxa?"

"Yes?"

"What are Shakers?"

She sighed. "We will go over the prophecy later. I do not want to think about it right now."

Gregor read over it again.

_Dead to you now, the Warrior is reborn_

_He will stand by your side, no matter how torn_

_Now Hero, once Warrior_

_Will always be your greatest evil destroyer_

_Party now, eat and rest_

_For this mission you must be at your best_

_Win this or lose all_

_Be glad the Hero at your beck and call._

_The queen and nine of her friends_

_Will this be the quest that they meet their ends?_

_The Hero has won the battle_

_But will he fall to the shakers rattle?_

_So they come from uncharted land_

_Leaving behind their life of sand_

_Will the Hero meet them halfway?_

_Even if he has to travel faraway?_

_Though death they may face_

_The Hero will be up to the chase_

_And so the race is on_

_Will they live until all the shakers are gone?_

"Gregor?"

"Yeah?"

"I do not like this…Guardian."

He smiled a little. "Luxa, we both knew that I would have to go back to the Overland sometime. I could not live here and there."

She glared at him. "You told me that you didn't want to go home, that you would stay."

"And I will…but not forever." He sighed. Though it hurt, he and Luxa always new that they would not end up together forever. It would have been impossible. "Look, let's just be glad for the time we have now."

"You mean before you die?"

"Luxa, the Prophecy of Time said that I would die too. Did that happen?"

"No."

"Then I probably won't die in last one of this either. I'll just live in the Overland and you will get to be with…the Guardian."

Luxa glared at him again. "You don't even care that it predicts your death and that I will be with someone else in the near future?"

"What was it you said about people dying? That it doesn't matter if you can't control it, right?" He knew he was being mean at the moment but he was doing it more for himself, honestly. He was trying to convince himself that they didn't belong together. Besides, how many people stay with the first person they love? Okay, that just made him feel worse.

Luxa stood up. "I have to go see the Gnawers."

He shrugged, staying where he was. Luxa sighed before walking out of the cave. After about thirty minutes, he realized that with Luxa and Aurora gone, he had no way down. Great, just great. He didn't want to deal with the prophecies anymore so he stood up, drawing his sword. He practice balancing it on his palm and then his head for a while.

"Overlander!"

He turned, his sword clashing to the floor. "Oh, hey Mareth."

"What are you doing?" He asked, eying the sword on the ground.

"Luxa left me here."

He smiled a little. "Really? Doesn't sound like her."

Gregor sighed. "What are you doing here?"

He held up a bag full of scrolls. "Someone has to copy down these prophecies."

"Luxa doesn't need your help with the Gnawers?"

"If she does not need the War- I mean Hero, I am sure that she does not need a cripple like me." Mareth sat in front of one. "Wanna help?"

"Yeah, sure." Gregor started with the one that called him Hero first. Mareth began on the other end.

"Why did Luxa leave you here?"

"Because of the Guardian." Gregor mumbled. He felt that he could be honest with Mareth, felt that he could trust him.

Mareth looked confused before shaking his head. "I think what you said before was right."

"What?"

"That sometimes it is best if we do not know what will happen."

* * *

"Hi Gregor."

"Hey Liz." He looked at Luxa, who was sitting in between Hazard and Lizzie. "Hey Luxa."

"How did you get down? Did you have to climb?" She seemed almost amused by the thought of him having to climb down.

"No, Mareth came to copy down the prophecies so I helped him and then he and Andromeda took me back." He sat down next to Luxa's youngest cousin. "Were you just going to leave me up there?"

Luxa shrugged. "I decided that if someone asked about you, I would go get you. If not, I would get you for dinner. I even told this to Aurora and she did not mention you."

Gregor rolled his eyes. "Whatever Luxa."

"What?"

"Nothing." He looked down at the ground. "What are you guys doing?"

"I'm teaching Hazard math." Lizzie told him.

Gregor shook his head. "Luxa, how did it go with the Gnawers?"

"They are as intolerable as ever." Luxa rolled her eyes but then smiled. "They greatly fear you though."

"Why?" Lizzie asked.

"Gregor is the Hero now. I did not see him fight but I was told that you were as good as Ripred." Luxa bragged. "If not better."

"I wouldn't say that." Gregor blushed a little. "Did Ripred come today?"

"Yes." Luxa rolled her eyes. "Just to cause problems."

"Math is boring." Hazard said after a minute. "Let's do something else."

"It is not boring."

"Yeah it is Lizzie."

Gregor ignored them. "Where's Boots?"

"With Temp." Luxa stood up. "Aurora and I will be taking him back today. You may come if you want."

"Alright." Gregor stood up too, following her. "Will we need him for the mission?"

Luxa shrugged. "The prophecy said to rest first. If we need him, we will get him."

That tired feeling that Gregor had when he was fighting the Gnawers was starting to return…also the same bloodlust he had. "Let's take him now."

Luxa looked at Gregor. "Why?"

He shrugged. "To get it out of the way."

Luxa gave him a look. "Gregor…you look…like you did earlier."

"Are we going to go or not?"

"Sure." Luxa started walking again. "I'll just have to find him and Boots. I do not know where they went."

When they finally found the two, Boots was taking a nap while Temp stood guard over her.

"Hey Temp." Gregor smiled at him, ignoring the aching pain in him that just wanted to kill something. Was this part of being a rager? Or was this a side effect of being the Hero? "We're going to take you back now."

"With Temp, princess come, with Temp?" The crawler asked.

"No. But you will see her again." Luxa reassured.

Gregor went over to his sister. "Hey Boots, wake up."

"Gregor?" She looked at him. "Hi!"

"Hi." He smiled. "Tell Temp bye."

"Bye-bye Temp!" Boots got up and patted the crawler on the head. "Go home?"

"Temp is. I'll take you and Lizzie back soon." Gregor promised. "Come on Temp."

"See princess later, Tempt will, see princess later." The crawler said.

Luxa picked up Boots. "You can go be with your sister. Gregor, go find Aurora."

He sighed, going off to find the golden Flier. "How's things going for the Crawler's, Temp?"

"Good, things are, good."

"The Gnawers have left you alone?"

"Gives protection, Queen Luxa, gives protection."

"So she sent soldiers there? That's good." They found Aurora with Nike. Gregor was shocked to see her.

"Hello Overlander." The striped bat nodded at him. "Much congratulations on winning the war."

"Uh thanks." He looked at her. "What are you doing her?"

"Howard has come in to speak to Luxa." Nike looked at him. "She does not wish to speak with him though."

"Oh." Gregor turned to Aurora. "Luxa wants you. We're going to take Temp back."

Aurora made a noise that Gregor decided was a sigh. "Luxa must always be going somewhere."

"We could get another Flier." Gregor offered. He remembered that Aurora had hurt her wing not too long ago.

Aurora seemed shocked that he would suggest that. "No, Overlander, that would not be necessary."

"Oh, okay."

"Luxa just listen to me! I am trying to apologize-"

"It is not accepted." Luxa walked over to them, Howard trailing behind her. "Aurora, will you take us to the-"

"The Overlander has already asked for you." Aurora opened her wings.

"Luxa, I was upset. You make many decisions when you are upset. Why should I be punished for mine?" Howard asked.

Luxa ignored him and got onto her bond. Gregor got on behind her while Temp crawled on.

"Let's go Aurora." Luxa said.

"Luxa-" Howard started but Aurora just left.

Gregor laid his head on her shoulder. It felt like the best place in the world to him. "So you're never going to forgive him?"

"That's none of your business, W- Hero." She sighed. "You weren't serious about what you said, were you?"

"About what?"

"About staying down here."

He shook his head. "I want to but…I was just talking, Luxa."

"I thought so."

Gregor yawned. "You okay Temp?"

"Fine, Temp is, fine."

Gregor yawned again. Luxa turned her head. "Are you tired, Overlander?"

"No. I just…never mind."

"What?"

"Forget it."

"No, tell me."

"Luxa-"

"You should not have mentioned it if you did not want me to know. Now tell me."

"I want to fight again."

Luxa didn't say anything for a moment. "Fight what?"

"The Gnawers, the Spinners, something."

"Crawlers, the Warrior wants to kill, Crawlers?"

"No Temp, I would never hurt you guys."

"If you are the Hero, Gregor, you will have Shakers to deal with." Aurora offered.

Luxa said nothing more on the subject. "If you want to sleep Gregor, go ahead. It will be awhile until we get there. And then I will have to stop by the others to speak with Perdita and Javan."

"I'm not tired." He wrapped his arms around her waist.

Luxa shifted a little, trying to settle in his arms. "Do you not have to be in that place right now?"

"What place?"

"…School?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. But I'd rather be here."

"Will you not get in trouble for coming here?"

"Probably. But whatever. I don't need school."

"Why?"

"I'm dying, remember?"

Luxa elbowed him, hard. "That is not funny Gregor!"

"That doesn't mean you can elbow me!" He took his head off her shoulder.

"Yes it does." Luxa crossed her arms as Gregor took his from around her waist.

"No, It doesn't. If I did that to you-"

"I dare you to touch me."

"You are really annoying me right now, Luxa."

She sighed. "I did not mean to hurt you, Overlander. I just wanted you to stop speaking."

"Yeah, whatever."

"Gregor, I'm…"

"You're…sorry?"

Luxa reached behind her and grabbed his arms, re-wrapping them around her. "Lay your head back down."

"Not till you say it."

"No."

"Luxa, I told you, I want to kill, really bad. I wouldn't push me if I were you."

In an amused voice, she asked, "Are you threatening me? The Queen of Regalia?"

"You sure do like to mention that."

"No, it just happens to come up…a lot."

Gregor finally laid his head back down on her shoulder. "Sorry if you didn't like my comment about me dying."

"You should take the prophecies seriously."

Gregor rolled his eyes. "Luxa, I won't die."

"How do you know?"

"I'm the Hero!" He smiled a little. "I'm invincible."

"Born to you when the Hero is dead, soon will wear a crown on his head." Luxa quoted from the prophecy after the one that he is supposed to die in. "Gregor, it mentions in that one and the one that tells of your last battle that you will die. When will you believe it?"

"I do, I just…" He didn't know what to say. He didn't really think that it was real. Sandwich had predicted his death before. Why should now mean anything? "Let's forget about it."

Luxa leaned into him. "Fine."


	10. Chapter 10

Gregor and the Hidden Prophecies

Chapter 10

"Bye Temp!" Gregor called as they walked out back over to Aurora. "I'll see you later."

Gregor got on before Luxa this time but she did not object, just got behind him. Aurora took off.

"To the others?"

"Yes." Luxa told her.

"Hey Luxa?" Gregor asked after a moment. "Remember what Nerissa said? About us getting back to Regalia? She said that you guys needed the others to do it."

Luxa sighed. "Gregor, I have told you, Nerissa sees many things. She could be talking about some point in the future or even something that does not have to do with us that has happened in the past. If it concerns you, talk to Vikus while we are with the others. I am sure that he would know if we were ever forced out of Regalia before."

"So you really believe in her?"

"Nerissa?"

"Yeah."

"Yes. You do not?"

Gregor shrugged. "I guess I do."

"She does see things Gregor."

"Luxa, look at it another way. If you were me and did not know her all your life, would you believe her?"

"Yes because it is true."

Gregor groaned. "You're hopeless."

"And annoying too, right?"

"Yeah, of course."

"And jealous?"

Gregor nodded. "Yep."

"And mention me being queen too much."

"Yeah."

"Did I miss any?"

"Just two. You forgot that you're bossy and that you are cold."

She sighed. "I am not loving you right now."

Gregor smiled. "But all those things make you great…or alright at least."

"I am not deaf and do not wish to hear this." Aurora commented.

Luxa laughed, wrapping her arms around Gregor from behind and hugged him. Against his back, she mumbled, "I love you."

"I love you t-"

"I was not joking."

Luxa sighed. "Alright Aurora."

Gregor shook his head. "Are you going to let me go now?"

"Nope." Luxa moved so that she could put her head on his shoulder. Where as Gregor had to lean down slightly, as he was taller than her, she had to stretch. They flew in silence for awhile before Gregor spoke.

"Luxa, see that land down there?"

"Yes."

"…Can we stop on it?"

"Why Overlander?" Aurora asked.

He mumbled something that only Aurora heard and caused her to laugh. Luxa frowned. "What did you say?"

"I sort of have to pee…now."

Luxa rolled her eyes. "You are like taking Hazard on a trip."

"Well can we stop?"

Aurora angled her wings downward. Luxa unwrapped her arms from around him. As soon as they touched down, Gregor ran over to the side of the cave. Luxa sighed, also getting down.

"Hurry up Overlander!" She yelled.

"I can't go with you yelling at me." He mumbled, knowing that she couldn't hear him. After he was done, he zipped up his pants and went back over to them.

"Are you finished now?"

"Yeah." He blushed a little. If he hadn't had had to go so bad, he wouldn't had brought it up. It's not like he wanted to bring up his bathroom issues in front of her. Luxa laughed when she saw his reddish cheeks and kissed him.

"I apparently was not clear. I do not want to hear or see you too." Aurora clarified.

Luxa rolled her eyes. "Then don't watch."

"Don't we need to go now?" Gregor asked.

"You mean that you do not like it when I hold you?"

"No, you smell."

"Gregor." She moved from him and pushed him. Gregor was not expecting that and fell backwards.

"Luxa!"

"What?"

"You are so getting it now." Gregor got up.

"Overlander-"

He lunged at her but she moved. When she did, he fell down, landing on his right arm in an awkward position.

"Damn." He mumbled, rolling over onto his back.

"Gregor, are you alright?" Luxa asked.

"My arm. I think you broke my arm."

Luxa glared at him. "I did not. You were the one that jumped at me."

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the Queen and her little boyfriend."

It was dark and Luxa could not see well but she did see the outlines of the Gnawers. There had to be at least twenty, if not more. Gregor jumped up. He couldn't move his right arm without raging pain. That was the arm he held his sword in! Luxa looked at him before the Gnawers and lastly her bond. Luxa was on Aurora in seconds, know that they could not take this, not with Gregor's arm hurt. Not to mention, Aurora's wing was injured recently. She was not risking it.

"Gregor!"

The Overlander, however, did not care if he had to use his left arm. He had wanted a fight and here it was. He drew his sword, facing them. He could take them, he knew he could.

"Aw, the Warrior wants to fight, how nice."

"We are at peace with the Gnawer's, Overlander. Now let's go." Luxa glared at him.

"Peace, huh? You kick us out, kill our pups-"

"No one harmed any-" Luxa started but the Gnawers attacked Gregor and he fended them off pretty well, seeing as his arm was broken. Luxa had Aurora fly up and fight from above, cursing the stupid Overlander the whole time. They had almost finished up when, with only three Gnawers left, Gregor got distracted by two of them and the third took it time to hit him in the head, taking a good chunk of his skin with him.

* * *

When he woke up, he didn't feel well enough to open his eyes. So he didn't.

"He can fight in a battle and win that you had no hope of winning but he gets injured fighting twenty some Gnawers?"

Ripred. Where was he?

"He had a broken arm."

Luxa. She must have taken him somewhere.

"How? And why were you stopped there?"

That voice. He knew it but…his name started with an e…and Luxa hated him…Emmett.

"The Overlander needed too." Luxa was defending him. She did not sound happy.

"What did he need to do?" Emmett asked.

"It is none of your concern!"

"It is of my concern when you decided to go out and be stupid with our greatest weapon!"

"Gregor is not a weapon."

Gregor groaned. They were too loud. Another voice spoke up. "You are disturbing him. Could you not continue this somewhere else?"

Howard. Were they in the Jungle or with the others?

Emmett ignored him. "Luxa, you can not let whatever is going on with you and the War- Hero interfere with-"

"You should best to watch what you say to me Emmett. Now that we are back in Regalia, I have to choose to either keep you in your current position or bring Perdita back up."

Regalia? What were they doing in-

"We are not back yet."

"Many are."

So they weren't but they were moving back there. Howard spoke again.

"You can go argue somewhere else. The Overlander needs rest."

"Yes, you can go, Ripred, Emmett."

"You too Luxa." Howard ordered.

"You thought that I was not leaving? That I would stay here with you?"

After a minute of silence, Howard spoke again. "You can open your eyes, Gregor. They have left."

He groaned, opening them. "Where are we?"

"The camp to those oppose to Luxa." Howard smiled at him. "You took a nasty wound to the head."

"Yeah." Gregor looked down at his arm and saw that it was in a sling. "Is my arm broken?"

"Yes." Howard shook his head. "Luxa mentioned that you broke it before the fight?"

"Yeah." Gregor didn't elaborate, Howard didn't ask him too. After ten minutes, Ripred and Luxa returned.

"Howard-" She started but then saw that Gregor was awake. "Overlander, you have greatly set us back."

"How?"

"You should have listened to me and left. There was no need to fight them." Luxa stared at him. "What was it that you said?"

"When?"

"When I was taking you here on Aurora, while you were injured."

"I don't know, I don't remember." Great, what did he say?

"That you could not control it. That you had to." Luxa looked at Ripred. "What does that mean?"

"Oh, now my bond wants my help. Not when it my benefit her people, only her-"

"Ripred." Gregor glared at him.

The rat shook his head. "It could mean multiple things. That you are crazy is my guess."

Gregor shook his head. "Just let it go Luxa."

The Gnawer looked at the Overlander. "Gregor, I wish to speak with you…alone."

Luxa looked at Ripred. "And? That does not mean that you can."

"Luxa-" Gregor started.

"Look, your highness, I have had to deal with you since you got here and I am just about tired of it." Ripred got in her face.

"Again, that does not mean anything." Luxa never backed down.

"I am two seconds away from ripping your stupid royal head off!"

"Hey." Gregor sat up. "Leave her alone Ripred."

"And, you, Overlander, are also getting to me. You think that you're such a great fighter now, then prove it. But wait, you can't, you've broken your arm. How can you save anything when you and the queen are always running off together?"

Gregor was tired of the old rat. He reached for his sword…with his supposedly broken arm. He broke the sling, pulling the sword out. The others looked at him in shock.

"What?" He asked, tired of them.

"Your arm, Gregor. I thought that it was broken?" Luxa looked hard at him.

"It is." Gregor looked down at it. "Or I thought that it was."

"This is what I wanted to talk to you about." Ripred sighed. "It would seem that you have not only moved up from Warrior but, you have also become a blazer."

"The jacket?" Gregor asked.

"No!" Ripred shook his head. "A blazer-"

"He is not a blazer, Ripred." Luxa seemed angered that the Gnawer would even suggest that.

"Luxa, you have never been in the presence of one." Ripred looked over at her. "Now go do something-"

"No. You go."

"Wait. Why is my broken arm healed?" Gregor asked, looking at the rat.

"Blazer's can be injured but it is usually healed within that same day-"

"He is not a blazer." Luxa looked at Gregor. "If you are well enough, we can get back to the jungle now."

"No, his head-" Howard started but stopped when Ripred went over to Gregor.

"Take the bandages off your head." The Gnawer ordered.

"Ripred, that is not advised-" Howard tried but they ignored him. Gregor unwrapped them and, sure enough, there was no wound, just a scar.

"What else can a blazer do?" Gregor asked, having given up on the chance that he wasn't one.

"You have a thirst to kill, constantly. You will be a more skilled fighter than anyone in the Underland. You are practically invincible."

"Then he would not have been hurt." Luxa concluded. She really didn't want him to be a blazer apparently.

"I did not say that. I said that he was practically invincible. If he makes stupid moves like he did, then yes, he will get hurt."

Luxa huffed. "Can we leave now?"

"It is late, Luxa. You two should stay here." Howard suggested.

"And I also have more to talk about with Gregor." Ripred walked out.

* * *

Gregor stared at the fire. "So why aren't you a blazer?"

"It's not a choice, Overlander."

"Yeah but, Ripred, you're a better fighter than me."

"Not now." Emmett laughed. "Guess we don't need you anymore, Ripred."

Luxa had been talking with them, more like glaring at them, but she eventually fell asleep. Now, her head was in Gregor's lap. Aurora, Nike, and Eros were behind them, talking. Howard sat a little bit away from them, half listening.

"Just because he is a blazer does not mean that he is the ultimate fighter." Ripred looked at Emmett.

"How many more blazers have there been?" Gregor asked.

"Not as many as ragers but there have been a few."

"Any humans?"

"They are mainly humans."

Emmett looked at him, changing the subject. "Why did you and Luxa stop there?"

"I…sort of had to pee."

Ripred rolled his eyes while Emmett burst out laughing. "Then how did you break your arm? Because there's only one thing to do with your hand with your pants down."

"Emmett!" Howard looked over at him. His bond, Eros, shook his head while Nike and Aurora rolled their eyes. Luxa, who apparently wasn't really asleep, opened her eyes.

"Emmett, you are in the presence of your queen. You should not speak like that."

Ripred rolled his eyes. Gregor looked at Emmett and noticed for the first time that he wasn't as old as he thought he was. He always thought that he was as old as Mareth but, looking at him so close, he was able to see that he was only about nineteen or twenty, maybe even eighteen. Honestly, if the others hadn't commented on the joke, it wouldn't have effected Gregor. In the Overland, he heard worse jokes than that. Actually better, depending on how you looked at it. Emmett's joke was actually very mild.

"I fell." Gregor told them. "Why are you here anyways, Emmett? Don't you need to be in the Jungle?"

"I came to find out what you two were doing. Howard came with me."

"It's late, Overlander." Howard said. "You should all go to sleep. Emmett, aren't you going to Regalia tomorrow to help with clean up?"

The general nodded. "Luxa, are you coming?"

"I have to take Gregor back to the jungle to be with his sisters." Luxa removed her head from Gregor's lap

"I can take him." Nike offered. "You do not need to go anywhere, do you Howard?"

"No."

"Alright." Nike looked at Gregor. "I will take you."

"Okay."

Ripred walked away as Howard put the fire out. Emmett got up and went over to Eros. He said something to him before they took off. Gregor laid down next to Luxa. She rolled over, her back to him.

"You really don't like Emmett, huh?"

He knew that she rolled her eyes, even though he couldn't see. "I do not enjoy him, no, but he is a skilled fighter. Not as good as you though."

Howard looked at them for a moment before shaking his head and walking away. Gregor closed his eyes.

"How long have we been here?"

"I got you here sometime after dinner and then you stayed knocked out the whole day."

"Thanks, for getting me out of there."

Luxa shrugged. "I would not just let you die. You were foolish though to think that you could handle those Gnawers. You could have hurt yourself, Overlander."

"You heard Ripred, I'm practically invincible!"

"You are not a blazer. Ripred is an idiot."

"Why don't you want me to be a blazer?"

"You're not and I'm not going to pretend that you are."

"Whatever Luxa."

"Why do you always say that?"

"Why are you always annoying?"

Luxa said nothing. After ten minutes, Gregor figured that she fell asleep. He laid there for awhile but got bored so he got up. He was walking away when Aurora called out to him.

"Where are you going Overlander?" She asked. It was rare that she and him would speak but recently, it seemed like they were talking more and more.

Gregor shrugged, noticing that Nike had fallen asleep. "I don't know."

"I could fly you somewhere." Aurora offered. Gregor was about to say no but he stopped himself. Why would she want to take him somewhere?

"Alright." Gregor went over to her and got on her back. Once they were in the air, Aurora spoke.

"You should stop mentioning being a blazer."

So that's what she wanted to talk about. "Why?"

Aurora hesitated. "It displeases Luxa to think of you as one."

She wasn't going to tell him. "But why?"

"There are many down sides to being a blazer."

"Which are?"

Again, she hesitated. "You have already felt the need to kill, correct?"

"Yes. So?"

The bat flew in silence for a moment. "Blazers' are used in time of war and are very important to us. When the war is over, many times they are put to death or, more often than not, put out on their own until they are needed for war."

"Why?"

"If you have a need to kill and can not get it from the enemy, as there is no enemy, you find it another way."

Gregor didn't say anything else. When they touched back down, Luxa was still sleeping. Gregor found sleep hard that night. If he's going to kill people because he doesn't have anything else to kill, he can't go back to the Overland…he can't stay here either.

* * *

When Luxa woke up she rolled over to face him and found that he was awake, as he hadn't slept at all that night. "Where did you and Aurora go?"

"What?"

"I awoke and you were both gone. Where did you go?"

"Nowhere."

She shook her head before sitting up. "Are you going to take your sisters back today?"

"I don't know. I guess I should."

"You could wait." Luxa stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"To find Vikus."

"Why?"

Luxa looked back at him for a moment. "Is it any of your concern?"

Gregor rolled his eyes as she walked away. Emmett walked up a few minutes later.

"Where is-"

"She went to find Vikus."

Emmett nodded. "When are you and Nike going to leave?"

"Whenever Nike is ready."

"I am ready Overlander." The striped princess spoke up.

"Okay." Gregor stood up and got on her. Then they were off. Where as with Aurora, Gregor always felt awkward, with Nike he felt…good. Aurora was more silent around Gregor, except for recently, he had only heard her talk a few times. Nike though was very lively and loved to talk.

"How is your mother?" The bat asked after they were flying for a few minutes.

"Fine. Well she was."

"Was?"

"She didn't know that we're here."

"You did not tell her?"

"She would not let us come. She hates it here."

"Oh yes, she is trying to move away, right?"

"Yeah, to Virginia."

"She will not leave."

"What makes you say that?"

"Aurora said that you found new prophecies. You will be back here to finish all the ones with the Hero in them."

Gregor rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right."

"You do not think so?"

"I think that…I probably will never come back after this. My mom will be very mad about this."

"Was she not mad before?"

"She was but this time…I just think that this'll be the last time I am here."

"That is for the better if you are a blazer."

"Yeah, Aurora said that I'll be sent to live on my own."

"That has happened before but only if you are too far gone to be kept in Regalia. Don't worry, Overlander, I do not think that you will ever lose control like some have. I think that you'll always be in your right mind." Nike laughed that weird Flier laugh. "I trust that you will never hurt anyone you do not have too."

"Thanks."

"You do not have to thank me for it, Gregor. Everyone should be like you instead of as angry and thoughtless as others."

"Like who?"

"I should not talk about others behind their backs." Nike was silent after that.

* * *

"Where's Luxa?" Hazard asked as Gregor walked over to them.

Gregor picked up Boots. "She went to Regalia."

"Go home?" Boots asked. Gregor sighed.

"We will."

"When?" Lizzie asked.

"After I make sure that everything is okay in Regalia, I'll take you guys back."

"And come with us to Virginia."

"Lizzie-"

"Are you staying with us, Nike?" Hazard asked.

"Yes. Until Gregor needs to leave."

"Doesn't Howard need you?"

"No, Hazard." Nike looked at Gregor. "Do you want to go back to Regalia now?"

"No. I think Luxa's coming back here later."

Nike nodded before flying away. Gregor was watching them play hide and seek, having to help Boots count when she was it when he saw that boy from before, Edward's brother. What was his name?

"I'll be right back Hazard." He told the boy who was counting before running over to the boy. What was his name? Nathan…Nat…Nash.

"Hey Nash." Gregor called, running over to him. The boy looked over at him and smiled.

"Hi Warrior."

"Not Warrior, Hero." Gregor smiled at him, falling in step with ten year old.

Nash smiled at him. "So are you still going to teach me to fight?" His smiled faded. "I always asked Edward but he never did."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about your brother."

Nash shrugged. "It's okay. My dad says that he should be lucky that he lived through the first war. He's a hero too."

"Yeah, definitely." Gregor looked down at him. "You want me to help you now?"

"Yeah! I'll go get a sword." Nash ran off. Gregor stood there waiting for him. When he came back, he was smiling again.

"You've fought with a sword before, right?"

"Yeah, we have to learn. But I'm not that good."

"It's okay, I wasn't that good at first either."

"But didn't you hit all the blood balls on your first day?"

Boy, this kid new his stuff. He was like those girls…except less creepy. A lot less creepy. "Well yeah, but that was luck."

"Oh." The boy held his sword out in front of him. Gregor took that as a sign to begin. They spent well over two hours practicing. They would have probably done more if a woman didn't approach them. Nash looked at her.

"Hello Mother."

She didn't say anything to him. She just looked at Gregor. "Greetings, Warrior. I would hope that he is not causing you a burden."

Gregor was shocked. "No. He's fine."

She nodded. "Come Nash."

He frowned. "Bye Hero."

"Bye Nash." Gregor gave a little wave as he was led off by his mother. Gregor shook his head, going to find his sisters and Hazard. When he did find them, Boot talking to Nike and it looked like Hazard and Lizzie were mad at each other.

"Hey." Gregor looked at the two of them, taking in Lizzie's crossed arms, and Hazard's scowl. "What's wrong?"

"Hazard being mean."

"Am not! You're just a stupid girl. What would you know?"

Gregor groaned. "Forget it. I don't even want to know. What are you doing Boots?"

She just giggled. Nike looked over at him. "She is explaining to me how Mary acquired a lamb."

Gregor just shook his head. "Boots."

"Luxa's back." Nike told him.

"Already?"

"It's been like four hours since you went away." Lizzie told him.

"Yeah, you said that you would be back!" Hazard glared at him.

"What were you doing for four hours?" Lizzie asked.

"Helping somebody with sword practice."

"For four hours?"

He heard Luxa's voice but did not see her. Finally he looked up. There, perched in the vines and oversized plants was Luxa. He immediately flashed back to that day when they found her while they were looking for the cure for the plague, when she had taken the painkillers. At the moment though, Luxa was sitting up there, watching them. She had something in her hand but he could not see what it was.

"Yes." He rolled his eyes. "What are you doing up there anyways?"

She shrugged. Her hands moved slightly and he saw that she was holding a necklace. "Who were you practicing with?"

"Nash."

"Who?"

"Just someone I know." Gregor stared at her. "Are you going to come down?"

She seemed to think about it for a moment before speaking. "No."

"I thought that you were helping with clean up?"

"No. I was there to check on things. I did and stayed for awhile before leaving."

"Of course, because helping is beneath you."

Even from way up there, Gregor could _feel_ her eyes narrow at him. "Why don't you go back to what you were doing, Overlander?"

"I can't hear you."

"I said- Gregor." She shook her head.

"What? I can't hear you. You're too high up."

"Stop it Overlander."

"I can't hear you, Luxa. You should come down here."

"No." She looked at the necklace she had in her hands. "Go away."

He rolled his eyes, giving up on getting her down. He sat down next to Lizzie. "You know that we're dead when we get back home, right?"

Lizzie nodded. "And we have to go to Virginia."

Gregor sighed. He didn't even want to be reminded. That's when he realized something. For him, leaving would be hard. But he would make more friends. Lizzie though only had one as it was. What would she do at a new school? He shook his head. His mom was being selfish. She shouldn't take Lizzie away from Jedidiah. But was Gregor not selfish too? He brought his sisters in to this, all so he could see Luxa one last time. That in itself speaks volumes. But Lizzie was going anyways, so why does it matter? No, he should have stopped her.

Luxa landing on the ground in front of them brought him out of his thoughts. He watched as she sat down next to him, laying her head on his shoulder. Shaking his head, he looked at the necklace she held.

"What's that?" He asked.

"Nothing." She pulled it into her fist, hiding it from him.

Gregor didn't say anything else about it.


	11. Chapter 11

Gregor and the Hidden Prophecies

Chapter 11

Luxa stared straight ahead, not even acknowledging him for at least ten minutes. When she did, she asked, "Do you follow me everywhere?"

"No." Gregor didn't look at her either. He just stared out from the view they had from the top of the cave. Most people had already been taken back. Luxa was waiting to leave, however, until everyone was there. Gregor had spent most of the day with Nash but, when it was time for his family to leave, he went to find Luxa. Many people did not have bonds so all the Fliers were busy that day with taking people back to Regalia. Aurora had just gotten back from her fifth straight trip and took Gregor to Luxa before going off on her sixth.

"Mostly everyone is back." Luxa told him.

"Yeah. It only took two days." Gregor thought about how long he had been down here. A week at least, maybe two.

Luxa shook her head. "You should have seen when we had to leave Regalia."

"It was hectic?"

Luxa nodded. "You are going to leave once we get back?"

"I don't know."

"We will still need you."

"For what?"

Luxa had her legs dangling over the edge but Gregor, still slight afraid of heights, kept his pulled to his chest. Luxa, however, had never had a fear of heights. If anything, she was more afraid of the ground. "Those Gnawer's that attacked us are not the only ones who are bitter about you beating them. If you leave, there is a great chance that they'll overpower us again."

"I don't want to leave but what choice would I have?"

Luxa shrugged. "You'll be back, regardless."

"Why?"

The queen glanced at him. "You are the Hero, Gregor. You have prophecies to fulfill." Then, in a mocking tone, she added, "Unless you're scared."

"Scared? I'm invincible, remember?"

"It would please me greatly if you would stop saying that."

"Why? I'm a blazer. I don't get hurt."

Luxa glared at him. "You are not a blazer, Overlander."

"Yeah I am."

"No."

"Yeah."

"Gregor." She sighed. "You should not take pride in being a blazer, if you were one, which, I might add, you are not."

"I know, I know. I heard. You guys will kill me or something. Whatever."

She shook her head. "Whatever? Is that what you say when you don't know what to say? Because, if it is, then you must not be very intelligent since you use it a lot."

He looked at her, hard. "I'm smart enough not to get my people kicked out of Regalia."

Her eyes flared but she said nothing. He didn't care though. They always fought. They would be talking again in a couple of minutes. The ex-warrior looked down at the ground and saw that necklace she had before sitting on the ground. He picked it up.

"Wh-"

"Give me that!" She took it back from him.

"You never told me what it was."

"You do not need to know everything about me."

"No, but I want to."

She looked down at the piece of jewelry in her hand. "A Gnawer was clutching it and, when they were clearing out the dead body's, someone noticed it and knew that it was mine. They returned it to me. It is normally kept in my room at the palace but one of them must have taken it."

"Where'd you get it?"

She looked at him briefly before turning to look back at the jungle below them. "It was Judith's."

Gregor raked his brain before realizing the only time he had heard that name was when Hamnet told mentioned his twin, Luxa's mother. "Oh. Sorry."

"For?"

"Asking."

"You had a right to ask, Overlander. If I did not want you to know, I would not have told you."

He shrugged. They sat there in silence again. After a few minutes, Luxa reached over and took his hand. Gregor didn't look at her but did squeeze her hand slightly. They watched as Flier's came in and took off, taking people who were probably very happy to be home but also scared of what they would find. Many of their homes were no doubt damaged, their belongings taken or destroyed. But, they all knew, at least they had lived and were finally able to go back.

After an hour of complete silence, someone from behind them spoke, interrupting Gregor's thoughts on what he was going to do about his mother.

"Luxa, are you leaving today?"

Aurora. Luxa turned to look at her. "You are no doubt tired. We will stay here for tonight."

Aurora nodded before closing her wings. "Nike is with your sisters, Overlander."

"Lucky her." He made a face.

Luxa smiled a little. "Where did that boy go?"

"What boy?"

"The one that you've been helping."

"Nash? He's family left."

"Nerissa will be going back with us. I do not want her going with someone else."

"She doesn't like flying?"

Luxa shook her head. "She hates it."

Gregor nodded. "Has Isaac gone back yet?"

Luxa groaned. "No. He is determined to go back with us."

"I don't see why you don't like him."

"I have told you, he is just adding st-"

"How? I haven't seen any."

Luxa let go of his hand. "What would you know?"

"I know a lot."

Luxa shook her head. "I doubt it.

"Oh you do?" He turned to face her.

"Yes." She didn't look at him.

He rolled his eyes, moving closer to her. He slowly wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He expected her to move or push his arm off but she didn't. She just sat there, not leaning into him, but not leaning away either. Aurora ruffled her wings, as if to let them know that she was there and did not wish to see anything else. That was fine with Gregor though. This was close enough for him.

"Overlander?" Luxa whispered after awhile.

"Yeah?"

She leaned against him. "I don't think I want to go back."

For Luxa, going back meant dealing with the people who betrayed her, who thought that she wasn't good enough to lead them, dealing with all the death and destruction that had come from the Gnawer's attack. Here, she just had to come up with attack plans and rule of half of what she did there. Here had become a safety net for her. Going back meant back to all the things she was able to put off.

For Gregor, it meant something completely different. Going back in his head was going back home, or what once was his home. He couldn't even get attached to it again because they would be leaving it soon too. He was having everything taken from him. All his friends down here, his friends up there, his home, everything he loved and lived for. And why? Because his mother wanted him to be safe. He shook his head.

"Me neither." He whispered back, looking straight ahead.

* * *

Gregor got onto the future bat queen after setting his youngest sister up there. Hazard climbed up there too. Gregor looked over at Luxa, who was helping Nerissa onto Aurora before getting on too.

Luxa looked at Hazard. "Get off of Nike, Hazard. You and Lizzie are riding with Isaac."

"No. I'm not riding with _her_."

Lizzie glared at him. "Well I don't want to ride with you anyways."

Gregor sighed. In a way, he decided, he should be glad that Lizzie was fighting with him. Before she came to the Underland, if someone at school talked about her or said something to her that upset her, she would break down and have a panic attack. So, in a way, her fighting with Hazard is a great improvement…sort of.

The queen shook her head. "Fine."

Lizzie climbed up there with Isaac. The man reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a deck of cards. Gregor was almost sure that they were from the Overland.

"Alright, Lizzie, as you are the lucky one that gets the joy of accompanying me on this trip, I will show you a few card tricks."

"Are those Overland cards?" Gregor asked.

Isaac smiled at him. "Very observant, Gregor. No wonder you are the Hero."

Oddly enough, if anyone else would have said that, it would sound as if they were mocking him. Coming from Isaac though, it sounded honest and true…and slightly scary.

"Where did you get them?" Gregor asked.

The man just smiled. "A good magician never reveals his secrets, right?"

Luxa just rolled her eyes. "I told you to stop taking things from the museum."

Isaac continued to smile as the bats took off. Gregor had turned his attention to Boots but he could hear Isaac shuffling the deck.

"Pick a card, Lizzie, any card." A second later he said. "Know which one it is?"

"Yes."

"Place it anywhere in the deck." The man turned his head. "Alright, is this your card?"

"No."

Luxa smiled at Gregor. The Hero just shook his head.

"It's not? Let me see it." He took it from her. "Catch Gregor."

He didn't know why but he caught it. "Okay."

"What is it?"

"The two of spades."

"No it's not! It was the queen of hearts!" Lizzie looked over at him.

"Is that one your card?" Isaac smiled.

"Yes! How did you do that?"

"As I said before, a good magician never reveals their secrets."

Nerissa smiled a little while Luxa's face went back to normal…void and empty. Gregor shook his head.

"Get Temp?" Boots asked, uninterested in Isaac's magic trick.

"No." Gregor smiled at her. "We're going back home soon."

Boots clapped her hands. "See Mama!"

"Yeah." Gregor wasn't nearly as enthused.

Hazard looked at the ex-rager. "Gregor, can you do magic?"

"No."

"Oh." Hazard looked over at Luxa. "I guess Isaac will just have to teach me."

Queen Luxa glared. "No, Hazard, he will not."

"Why not?" Isaac smiled at his queen. "I would love to."

"Hazard does not need to learn."

"Told you she doesn't let me do anything." Hazard mumbled to Gregor and the blazer was inclined to agree.

* * *

When they got back to Regalia, Luxa had things to do. Hazard immediately wanted to go see what his room looked like, so Gregor and his sisters when with him. As they walked there, Gregor noticed the people that lined the hallways and it brought him back to the war he lost Ares in. He shook his head.

"Look!" Hazard ran over to the claw marks on his walls. "Isn't this great, Gregor?"

"Uh…yeah, I guess." He looked around the room. It was a mess. As was all of Regalia, he supposed. He left Lizzie was Hazard, as they had started being nice to each other again, and took Boots to go find something to do. He was walking down the hall when Nike flew up to him.

"Hello Overlanders."

"Hi!" Boots smiled at her.

"Hey Nike, what's up?"

"I am looking for Howard. Have you seen him?"

"No, sorry. What do you need him for?"

"I was asked to go to the Fount and do not wish to go alone. I thought that he would want to go, as his family is already back there." Nike looked at Gregor. "I must leave now. Would you care to go with me?"

"Yeah sure." At least it gave him something to do. They went to the High Halls and then took off. They were already outside of Regalia when Gregor realized that no one knew where he was. He decided that it wouldn't matter. The Fount wasn't that far…was it? Gregor had never been there.

"Nike, is the Fount like Regalia?"

"Yes, in ways, only much smaller." Nike told him. "Most there have been killed. No one there, save a few soldiers, had ever seen a Gnawer. It was horrific, honestly. And then they burned most of the city."

"How far away is it?"

"Not far. We will be there in a few minutes."

"See Temp?" Boots asked.

Nike laughed. "No Boots, not today."

"How did the Gnawer's get to the Fount?" Gregor asked. "I thought that they were upstream?"

"They are. But once the Gnawer's took Regalia, they were able to go through the south gate and from there it is but a few hours to the Fount."

They flew in silence after that. Once they got to the Fount, Nike flew straight to a stone building. It was similar to the palace but a lot smaller. She landed in the High Halls.

"Hello Overlander."

Gregor turned and saw that girl…what's her name? One of Howard sisters…Luxa doesn't like her, that's not saying a lot though. "Oh hey."

"This is the package?" The girl went over to Nike, taking a box off of her back.

"Yes. I was supposed to deliver it to your father-"

"He told me to give it to him!" She reassured.

Nike seemed unsure. "If you say so."

"Goodbye." The girl walked off. What was her name?"

"Goodbye Stellovet."

Oh yeah, that's her name. Nike took off again. "What was in the package?"

"I do not know. Luxa asked me to deliver it, as she thought Howard would wish to go home, or what's left of it."

Seemed more like that Luxa wanted Howard gone and to stay gone. "Nike, do you remember that Flier that took me to the jungle the first time?"

"Agron?"

"Yeah. What's wrong with him?"

"What do you mean, Overlander?"

"Luxa said something about me needing to stay away from him but Aurora came back and she didn't finish."

Nike was silent for a moment. "Luxa was going to tell you?"

"Yeah."

"Then I guess it would be alright if I tell you." Nike sighed. "Agron and Aurora were to mate."

"Were to?"

"They did not."

"…Why?"

"Agron thought that if he were to be a mate to the bond of Queen Luxa, it would make him an important Flier of some sorts. Then, he decided that Aurora was not as good of decision as…me."

"Why you?" Gregor asked. "I mean, not that there's anything wrong with you. It's just…how would you help him?"

"I am princess of the Flier's, Gregor. He believes that he can become king, if he could just convince me of how great he is."

"You don't think so?"

"Aurora and I have been close since we were pups. She cared greatly for him and he betrayed her." It was one of those few moments that Nike sounded serious, more grown up. "No, Gregor, I do not think so."

"Oh."

"He also is not reliable in time of war. He is afraid to fight." Nike laughed. "I would not have had him take you that day if someone else was around but he was the only Flier without something to do."

Boots ran her hand down Nikes fur. "Ni-ee.'

The bat laughed again. "Yes Boots?"

"Ni-ee princes, Boots princess." Boots smiled, leaning against her brother. The rest of the flight back, Nike talked to Boots. As soon as they landed in the High Halls, Gregor saw Luxa standing there, arms crossed, Howard with her.

"Overlander." Luxa glared at him.

"Nike, why didn't you get me?" Howard asked. "Why did you take Gregor?"

"I could not find you and did not wish to go alone."

Gregor got off of Nike, taking Boots with him. "What's wrong Luxa?"

"I did not know where you were and-"

"You don't have to know where I am all the time."

She rolled her eyes. "Trust me, I could care less. The reason it matters is that your parents are here and are upset that no one knew where you were. A few of my guards told me they saw you leave with Nike."

"My parents?" Gregor felt his stomach drop.

"Yes. Apparently, Vikus sent a note to them during the war and told them something that kept them away but, now that we are back, he sent a note saying that they can come down…and they have."

"Great." Gregor mumbled.

"Come, I shall take you to them."

Boots smiled. "See Mama?"

"Yeah." Gregor sighed, following Luxa. Finally, they came to a room and Luxa went in. Gregor took in a breath before following.

"Mommy!" Boots wiggled in her brother's arms, wanting down.

Grace took her baby from Gregor. "Oh, Margaret."

Boots giggled. "Hi!"

Lizzie, who had her arms crossed, glared at her mom. "Can we go now?"

Her father shook his head. "Shush, Lizzie."

Luxa looked at Grace. "We can have Fliers take you to the stairwell tomorrow. We cannot today as they are helping remove trash and such."

Gregor's father nodded. "Thank you."

Luxa turned and started out of the room, Gregor about to follow. His mother stopped him though. "You're not going anywhere Gregor."

He cringed. Luxa smiled at him before walking out. Gregor glared at her. She was so enjoying him getting in trouble and he knew it.

"What made you think that you could just take your sisters down here?" His mother looked at him, hard. Gregor, however, didn't care at the moment.

"I just came to say goodbye." He looked her in the eye. "I didn't know that they were at war."

"It doesn't matter what you thought. The point is that you left without permission and took your sisters with you."

"I wanted to go." Lizzie interrupted. "Gregor wasn't going to go, he just followed me."

"It doesn't matter who followed who."

"Grace, calm down." His father sighed. "I think that we should wait until we're back home to discus this."

"I'm not going back home. Not yet anyways."

His mother looked at him. "Excuse me?"

He felt bad. His mother was just concerned for him. "I have prophecies to-"

"You think that I care about prophecies?"

"Grace."

She looked at her husband. "What? He can't just run off."

"She's right, Gregor." His father looked at him.

"Fine, I won't run off anymore, okay?"

"Alright."

"That's all?" Grace glared at her husband. His dad shrugged.

"We'll talk to him when we get back, remember?"

His mother sighed. "Fine."

He waited for them to say something else and when they didn't, he walked out. Luxa was waiting for him, smirking a little.

"Don't you have something to do?" He asked, not even wanting to deal with her.

"Not at the moment, no." She followed behind him. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know." Why wouldn't she just leave him alone?

"So you're just going to walk around all day?"

He shrugged. "Why does it matter?"

Luxa rolled her eyes. "Tomorrow, you are back in the Overland."

"And?"

The queen shook her head. "Forget it."

Gregor sighed, turning to face her. "Did you want to do something?"

"No."

Great, now she was mad at him. Rolling his eyes, Gregor shrugged. "Fine."

Luxa narrowed her eyes at him walking past him. He groaned, following her. "What Overlander?"

"What? I was walking this way first." He fell into step with her. "What are you going to do?"

"Find Aurora."

"Why?"

"What do you care?"

He shrugged. "Hazard thinks that his room is cool."

She glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

"There are claw marks and stuff."

Luxa rolled her eyes. "He is easily entertained."

They walked in silence for awhile before Gregor spoke again. "You're not…worried about me having to go back home? We'll probably leave for Virginia as tomorrow."

"No." Smiling at him, she continued. "You are in the prophecies Gregor. You will be back."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, alright."

Luxa ignored his comment. "Are you in trouble? For coming?"

"They said that they would talk to me when we get home. Which probably means I'll get grounded."

"Grounded?"

"Yeah, like…I can't do anything but stay home and do chores. No different from the rest of my days."

"Then why do they do it?"

"They think of it as punishment." Gregor looked at her. "Didn't your parents ever punish you?"

Luxa thought. "No, not that I remember. Solovet would ban me from things but most of the time, I would do them anyways."

Figures…

* * *

"And…and…it's just not fair!"

Gregor was wrong before. He liked Lizzie better when she was quiet and had panic attacks. This Lizzie was loud and repetitive. Hazard, however, seemed to feed off of her anger, as if it brought him some sick and twisted joy. Hazard was rare to smile and yet he was now, very big.

"I get it Liz. But you knew that we were going to get in trouble."

They were sitting on some couches in the royal wing of the palace. Luxa was off doing something that had to do with the Gnawers. She had told him but he didn't listen. Boots was with his parents. He didn't really care what they were doing or where they were doing it.

"Yeah but..." She was out of things to say. Actually, when Gregor thought about it, she had run out about three minutes ago. But did that stop her from griping? Nope.

Hazard laid down on the couch. "You complain too much."

Lizzie looked at him. "Shut up. You don't have to listen. Leave if you don't want to hear me."

He shrugged. "At least I'm supposed to be here. You shouldn't be. You leave."

"Guys, stop." Gregor leaned back. This was not his idea of fun at all. He lazily listened to them fight for awhile before getting up. They didn't even notice that he left. God they're annoying. He walked down the halls, look for something, _anything_, to do. That's when he ran into Nash. The ten year old was sitting against the wall, his mom next to him. When he saw his hero, his face lit up.

"Gregor!"

The teen turned his head. "Oh, hey Nash."

"Can I go with Gregor?" He turned to his mother.

She looked at the Hero. "…you don't mind?"

Gregor shook his head. Other people were watching them. He hated having attention on him. "No."

"Alright."

Nash stood up and walked with Gregor down the hall. "So you're going on that mission with the queen?"

Gregor looked at him. Boy, he was always excited… "Yeah, I guess."

"That's so cool."

Gregor had never heard any other Underlander use the word cool except for Nash. Then he realized, besides Hazard, no one had had been around was under the age of fourteen or either were royal and were not around many other kids except ones in their family. Maybe kids in the Underland talked similar to the Overland…or maybe it's only Nash.

Gregor shrugged. "It can be."

"I wish I were you." Nash smiled. "You're so cool."

If Gregor ever feels bad about himself, he decided, he would just hang out with Nash. "Thanks."

They were still walking around when they walked past a room that had it's curtain open. There were no people around this area…except for the two in the room. Gregor knew he should watch but he couldn't help it.

"Luxa, I do not see why you cannot just let it go."

"Let it go?" She glared at him. "You chose…them over me! You could not even trust me to take care of things? Fuck, even Emmett in trusted me with that much!"

Gregor raised his eyebrows. He had never heard Luxa curse. Howard was unfazed.

"Luxa, I lost my family. I thought that my whole family was dead."

"I am family too, Howard."

"Since when? You have treated me like trash your whole life. Just because you play nice in to me when we are out fulfilling prophecies does not mean that I can just throw out your past transactions." Howard sighed. "I am not trying to argue, cousin. I am trying to make you understand. You have lost family too, Luxa."

Luxa stared at him. "You dare compare my parents to your wretched siblings?"

Howard bit his lip. He was trying to keep his anger down and it was obvious. "Luxa, I thought that I had lost my parents too. Not only that but my brother and sisters. No matter what you think of Stellovet, Kent, or Hero, Chim never did one thing to you." Howard looked at Gregor. "You thought that you had lost Boots at more than one time during your stay here. You understand. Help her understand."

Gregor didn't know what to say. When Howard said it like that, it made so much sense. "I-I-"

Luxa didn't even look at him. "Chim may have been a loss _to you_ but that does not mean that you can turn your back on me. You blamed me for all their deaths. I had nothing to do with it. I would have felt sorry for you, if you had not judged and made your decision without me. You did not. It was your choice."

The older boy shook his head, thinking for a moment before speaking. "Henry, Luxa."

"What?"

"Henry was twenty times as bad as any of my family. Even if Stellovet thinks of you and Nerissa dying, it does not mean anything, not when put next to what Henry did. He was ready to not only sacrifice you but also his sister. And yet you morned him like a brother." Howard looked her in the eyes. "I am sorry if I hurt you, I truly am. Looking back on it, I should have trusted in you but I did not." Howard looked into her eyes. "I have apologized. Now it is your turn. Do you forgive me?"

Luxa never even blinked. "Never."

Howard shook his head. "That is fine. But, know this, you will need me, cousin. And when you do, I will be there."

"I needed you when I was kicked out of Regalia. I needed you when half of my people stabbed me in the back and refused to stay with me." Luxa turned away from him. "I will never need you again."

Luxa walked past Gregor and Nash, eyes locking with Gregor's for a moment. He didn't follow her though. She walked on. Gregor wasn't concerned with Luxa. She would be fine. He was worried about Howard.

"Howard-"

The older boy just smiled. It was a tired, exasperated smile. "It is fine Overlander. Luxa is very stubborn. All I ask is that you help my case with her."

"How?"

"She listens and respects you. That is a lot more than I can say about myself right now."

Gregor nodded before walking away. "Alright."

Nash, who had been silent the who time, followed behind him. "So I guess you want me to go?'

Gregor looked down at him. "What? Why would I want that?"

Nash smiled at him. "Because, Gregor, you're going to find Luxa, right? And tell her that that guy in there isn't that bad? Right?"

"Nash-"

"It's okay, I'll find something else to do." The boy ran off in the direction they had come. Gregor groaned. Now he felt that he had to go and at least try to get Luxa to forgive Howard. How could he face Nash if he didn't? It was then that he realized the down side to having an admirer. True, you get praised constantly, but you just couldn't let them down. Then you'd feel horrible.

* * *

"Luxa, wait!" Gregor ran into the High Halls. Aurora, who was taking off, stopped, hovering over the ground.

"What is it, Overlander?" Luxa asked, clearly annoyed.

"I want to go with you."

"I wish to be alone."

He glared at her. "You're not the only one who has things to deal with, okay? Besides, it's not like I want to have to go with you. I have no other Flier to take me out of here, do I?"

Luxa sighed. "Fine."

Gregor climbed up onto Aurora. "Thanks."

"Do not thank me Overlander. I am doing it because-"

"Luxa, stop. I don't care why you're doing it."

Luxa said nothing else. Gregor hesitantly laid his head on her shoulder. Luxa let him. Once they were outside the gates of Regalia, Gregor figured that they would head to Ares's cave but they didn't. Aurora flew to another one, one that was about ten minutes away from Regalia. When they landed, Luxa and Aurora went into the cave. Gregor sat outside it, looking into the darkness. Maybe that's why he liked it here. All the darkness. The dark hides things, secrets, feelings, scars, lies…love. Up there though, everything comes to light eventually. Here, death happens so fast that many of your secrets die with you. Here, things might not seem easier, but they are. He fights and wins, people love him. Luxa gets made, they make up. Ripred tells him something that will probably benefit him later in life, he doesn't listen. When you really think about it, life down under is…better.

Could that be the reason it is so hard to leave behind? He always thought that it was the people, the friends, that he had made. But if that were true, then why is it so easy to leave Larry and Angelina? Is it that he had gone through more with those down here? Sure, he, Larry, and Angelina had gone through some stuff but nothing like things down here. In the Overlander, there was death and things but not like here. Here death was a constant thing. What was it Nash said that his dad told him? That you should be thankful you made it through the first war. For a second, Gregor pondered if that's what life was like for those in other countries. Maybe the Underland was not so different from the Overland just the part of the Overland he was in.

"Why are you out here, Overlander?" Luxa sat next to him. He shrugged.

"You wanted to be alone."

Luxa looked at him. "Do you want to be alone?"

"No."

"I don't either. Not now."

He nodded, looking behind him. He figured Aurora would be there to tell them that she did not 'wish to hear or see their affection' but she wasn't there.

"You should forgive Howard." If Gregor knew that he would be there to talk with her about it later, he would have timed it better. But he was leaving tomorrow and would not let Nash down.

Luxa nodded, shocking him. "I know."

"Then why don't you?"

Queen Luxa shrugged. "I do not know."

"He's hurt, Luxa. Even if his parents and Stellovet are alive, he still lost three of his other siblings. Imagine losing Hazard and then multiply the pain by three."

The girl shook her head. "It is not that simple."

"Yeah, Lux, it is. Some things are just simple. You can try and make them as complex as you want but it doesn't change anything."

"You don't get it Gregor. You have never lost-"

He glared at her. "I have lost Ares and my grandmother all in the same year, so don't tell me I have not lost. Yes, Luxa, you have lost more people than me and yes, you have been through more than me. And if we were throwing a self-pity party, you would win by a land slide. But lets not, alright? Because tomorrow, I'll be back in the Overland and do not want fight with you on my last day here."

Luxa looked at him before laying her head on his shoulder. "You did not call me by my name."

"What?"

"Before. You called me Lux."

"Oh…sorry."

"Do not be sorry." She mumbled, closing her eyes. They fell into complete silence. Then the noise started. It sounded like…rattling.

"Luxa-"

"Shhh." She listened for a second before standing up. She ran into the cave and returned with a torch. Gregor, though, using is echolocation, had already realized that there was something with them…something big. He felt that sense to kill kick in. Please let this be an enemy, please let this be an enemy.

Luxa hopped on Aurora, Gregor getting on as well. As they flew over, they could see them. Rattle snakes. Big rattle snakes. Gregor had only seen one once, while he was in Texas, visiting some of his relatives. And, as always, the Underland just loved to make things super sized.

"Luxa-"

"Shakers." She told him. "Enemy to humans as long as the Gnawers. My father's father forced them into the Uncharted Lands right before he died. We assumed them dead. Of course, the prophecy told otherwise."

Gregor smiled. "I have my sword, do you have yours?"

"Gregor, we are not fighting them."

"What?"

"Aurora, take us back to Regalia. We must warn others."

"Luxa, I can fight them."

"Overlander-"

They were right over them. If he could just… Before he knew it, he jumped. Aurora didn't make any move to catch him. He heard Luxa yell at her but she still didn't even try to catch him. She knew what he was doing. He landed on ones back. It was not a comfortable fall but he didn't brake anything. He immediately pulled his sword. The oversized snake whipped it head around to get him but his sword was waiting. He chopped the head clean off. This would be fun.


	12. Chapter 12

Gregor and the Hidden Prophecies

Chapter 12

Gregor was still smiling as he sat in the hospital room. Nothing major, but one of the Shaker's teeth scraped him. Sure they were venomous but at the moment he didn't care. He had just fought five huge rattlesnakes all alone and won! However, because he had been bit, they had give anti-venom. When Luxa walked in, though, she was not nearly as amused as he was. It was obvious that she was upset with him what with her crossed arms and glaring eyes but Gregor was still coming down off that killing high. It didn't matter to him if she was angry or not. All that matter was that he had killed those rattle snakes.

"I killed them all Luxa! Before those guards even got there." He bragged as the doctor walked off.

Luxa shook her head. "You are injured?"

"Yeah." He looked down at his bandaged arm.

"Good. You should not have been so foolish."

Rolling his eyes, Gregor walked over to her. "It'll probably be healed by tomorrow."

She rolled her eyes at him. "For the last time, you are not a blazer."

"Gregor." His mom walked in. She hugged him. Luxa uncrossed her arms. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." Gregor didn't hug his mother back. She finally let go of him.

"Why were you two out there?"

Gregor shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

"I asked you a question."

Luxa looked at Gregor before leaving. He sighed. "We were just…hanging out."

"I thought you said that you wouldn't run off anymore?"

"I didn't!" Gregor looked at his mom. "We were just flying around and saw them."

Grace shook her head before walking out. Gregor waited a second before going out too. Luxa was leaning up against the wall, waiting for him.

"Are you in trouble again?" She asked. Grace was already too far down the hallway to hear them.

"No."

Luxa nodded. "You should not have attacked them. We do not know their reasons for coming. They could have been peaceful."

"Do you really believe that?"

"No. I was just repeating what Vikus said." Luxa started walking. "Come. Vikus wants to speak with you."

He followed her to a room where the older man sat at a table, a scroll laid out in front of him.

"Ah, Gregor, our great Hero." His smiled kindly at him. "Shall we go over this prophecy you and our queen have uncovered?"

"Yeah, sure." Gregor stood next to Luxa in front of the table.

"Let's start at the beginning."

_Dead to you now, the Warrior is reborn_

_He will stand by your side, no matter how torn_

_Now Hero, once Warrior_

_But will always be your greatest evil destroyer_

"That is pretty self-explanatory, correct? You are the Hero now, as you killed the Warrior." Vikus waited from him to nod before continuing.

_Party now, eat and rest_

_For this mission you must be at your best_

_Win this or lose all_

_Be glad the Hero at your beck and call._

Vikus looked at him. "It has been a few days since the last battle. You have had time to do as you pleased. Though you are not at your best, per se, that cut will be healed tomorrow, yes? You are a blazer now?"

"No."

"Yes."

Vikus raised an eyebrow. "There is some confusion on whether you are or not?"

"No." Gregor looked at Luxa.

Vikus shook his head before continuing. "It also says that if we lose this, all is lost."

"Great." Gregor shook his head and Vikus smiled at him.

"Then it mentions that you are here for us, no matter what, as you would not want your friends hurt. This will be tested, as I am sure that your mother will want you to leave, regardless of what Sandwich wrote." The man laughed slightly. "Now for the next stanza."

_The queen and nine of her friends_

_Will this be the quest that they meet their ends?_

_The Hero has won the battle _

_But will he fall to the Shakers rattle?_

"The first line tells us that Luxa will take nine people with her." Vikus looked at her. "I would assume you will be taking Gregor and Aurora. The others you must decided. I would suggest Nike and Howard be in there."

Luxa looked away from him. "I will take Gregor, Aurora, Hazard-"

"Why Hazard?" Vikus questioned, looking at her. It was almost as if he were testing her. She knew it too.

"He can speak in many tongues. He is good in Twister and Hisser. The Shakers speak a complex mixture of both. Which is why, if Grace will allow it, I want to take Lizzie. She was on the code breaker team and could help him with figuring out what they are saying."

"Good. Who else?"

"I do not think that taking Temp will be necessary nor Boots. This will be a hard trip and having her there would only further complicate things." Luxa looked at her grandfather. "And…Howard and Nike. Howard is a good medic."

Vikus smiled. "And?"

"I have no one else in mind. Do you?"

"Emmett and Eros."

Luxa glared at him. "I refuse. The prophecy says friends. I do not like Emmett."

"He is a skilled fighter, Luxa."

"So is Gregor."

"Luxa, it is your choice but I have already informed Emmett and Eros that they would be going. You should tell them otherwise." Vikus looked her in the eyes. "Or not. I do not see why you have such hatred for him."

"You know why."

"You're parents' mistakes and his mother's should not effect the relationship between the two of you."

Luxa shook her head. "The other person I want to take is Ripred."

Gregor gave her a look. "What?"

"There are Gnawers in the Uncharted Lands, ones who do not know our language. If we were to run into them, I would like to have someone who can communicate with them, someone besides a child."

"And will you be taking Emmett or not?"

She looked at Gregor. "Do you think that we need to, Hero?"

She just loved putting him on the spot... "Yeah, let's take him and Eros."

Luxa bit her lip before nodding at Vikus. "Fine, we will take them."

Vikus nodded. "Alright. The next part says that you have won the battle, Gregor. We can assume it is speaking of when you one the war for us. When it asks if you will fall, it is asking if you will die."

Gregor nodded. "Yeah."

_So they come from uncharted land_

_Leaving behind their lives of sand_

_Will the Hero meet them halfway?_

_Even if he has to travel faraway?_

Vikus looked the young fighter in the eyes. "The next part, as you know, is talking about the Shakers coming from the Uncharted Land. There is much Uncharted Land but we do know that we ran the Shakers off into the land south of here. That's where we will be sending you."

"Why are the Twisters so small but the Shakers so big?" He asked.

Luxa answered. "The Shakers that you fought were old. They live for around a hundred years, some even longer. They steadily grow their whole lives. The ones we saw were not the biggest but were fairly large."

They got bigger than that? Great… "Let's keep going."

_Though death they may face_

_The Hero will be up to the chase_

_And so the race is on_

_Will they live till all the Shakers are gone?_

"Where it says you will face death but will still want to go is hinting at what we already know. Blazer's do not back down. I am sure that right now feeling like going to find the Shakers." Vikus smiled at him.

"He's not a blazer." Luxa mumbled.

Gregor rolled his eyes. "The rest is just talking about us going out to find them."

"Yes, so I think that we are finished here." The widowed man looked at his granddaughter. "I will have it arranged for Ripred to-"

"I have already taken care of it." Luxa turned and walked out of the room. Gregor smiled at Vikus.

"Thanks Vikus."

He nodded at Gregor. "I will see you when you return, God permitting."

He walked out of the room. God? He had never heard anyone in the Underland mention religion. He just figured they were to busy with their wars and disagreements to think about stuff like that. His parents were like that. When he was a kid, he remembered going to church sometimes. Now though, Sunday was his mom's off day and that meant that no one in the house was to make any noise till at least noon.

That's when he realized what Vikus had said. God permitting…did Vikus think that Gregor would die from this mission? If Vikus doesn't have faith in him, then he has nothing. Or did Vikus mean himself? …Gregor shook it off, deciding that it didn't matter. Now he had to deal with his mother.

* * *

"No. Absolutely not."

Luxa held in the eye roll Gregor knew she wanted to use. "He and Lizzie will be of great value to us-"

"No. We are leaving tomorrow, just like you told us."

Luxa bit her lip, stopping herself from commenting. She sent Gregor a look. He sighed. "Mom-"

"No. This is not a discussion."

Emmett, who, to Luxa's displeasure, was in the room too, spoke up. "Gregor is the Hero, ma'am. He has to come. If it displeases you for your daughter to go, I am sure that we could-"

"Hey! If he gets to go, so do I."

"Neither of you are going anywhere."

Again, Luxa stopped herself from commenting. It was silent for a moment before she did decide to speak. "Fine. Then all humans in the Underland will perish at the hands of Shakers just so you can make it to Vir…that place on time."

Luxa walked out of the room. Gregor groaned, following her. He heard his mother say something but he didn't care.

"What's your problem, Luxa?" He asked, grabbing her arm to stop her from getting away. She jerked her arm away from him.

"Nothing. I have more important things to deal with than pleasing your mother."

"Like what?"

"Like figuring out how to plan the mission in two hours."

"Luxa, there is no mission if my mom-"

"Overlander, we are going. We will leave tonight."

"Luxa-"

"I have to go tell Howard and Nike that we will be leaving soon."

Gregor sighed as she walked away.

* * *

"Hazard, you will ride with us." Luxa told him as Gregor climbed onto Aurora.

"Ew. Do I have too?"

"Hurry up." Luxa snapped at him.

He got onto Aurora. "Fine."

"Lizzie, you ride with Emmett." Luxa instructed.

"Where is Howard?" Emmett asked, helping Lizzie onto his bond.

"He and Nike are getting the water bags."

It was almost completely dark except for the light the torch Emmett had put off. Nike flew in a minute later, Howard walking behind her. Without a word to anyone, he got onto her.

"Eros, you have to food?"

"Yes."

Luxa nodded. "Let's go."

Once they were off the ground, Gregor realized how much trouble he was going to be in. Then, as he thought, he decided that Luxa would probably be in trouble too. And Lizzie. Mareth was probably going to yell at all of them, including Emmett. It made him feel a little better to know that he wouldn't be the only one who would get in trouble.

Guards at the gate watched them but didn't stop them, as they saw that it was their queen. Once they were out of Regalia, Hazard started talking.

"What about Ripred?" He asked. "Isn't he coming?"

"Yes. He is meeting us later." Luxa told him. Gregor had only gone to the south once and that was a day ago when Nike took him to the Fount. Here, he saw that they kept animals. It looked like farmland.

"Won't Gregor and Lizzie get in trouble when we get back?" He asked.

"Yeah." Gregor confirmed.

"Sorry for you Gregor but I'm glad that _she's_ getting in trouble!"

Shut up idiot!"

"Why did we bring children?" Eros mumbled.

Luxa ignored him. "Hazard, behave."

He glared at her. "Whatever."

"Thanks Gregor." She muttered.

"What?"

* * *

"When will we see Ripred?" Lizzie asked. They were camped out after about ten hours of flying, short breaks in between to let the fliers rest. At the moment, Lizzie and Hazard were friends and were playing with the cards that Isaac had let her borrow. The eight year old was teaching Nike and Hazard how as play Old Maid.

"Soon." Luxa was sitting next to Gregor. He wasn't really paying attention to any of them. That tired, bloodlust feeling was coming back. "He will meet us as we come up on the Uncharted Lands."

"I do not see why you had to bring him when you have me and the Hero." Emmett commented.

"That is not the question. The question is why I brought you when I have _him_ and the Hero."

Emmett shook his head. Luxa glanced at Gregor. She kicked his foot gently.

"What?" He looked at her.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine."

She pushed his foot again. "We are coming up on the Uncharted Lands."

He pushed her foot back. "Yeah, I know."

She pushed his foot. "We do not know what else lies out there."

"I know. I'm ready for it."

Emmett looked over at them. "Gregor, not everything out there is our enemy. You cannot just kill everything you see."

Gregor said nothing. Howard stood up and went over to him and Luxa. "Let me see your arm, Gregor. I want to see if it has healed."

Gregor gave him his arm and Howard slowly unwrapped the bandages. Sure enough, there was only a faint scar. Normally, he would say something to Luxa about how this clearly meant he was a blazer but that feeling was fogging his brain so much that he didn't care enough to argue with her. Luxa looked at his arm briefly before looking away. Howard smiled.

"Seems you are all healed, Gregor."

"Yeah." He looked at his arm. "When are we going?"

Luxa looked at the Fliers before sighing. "We'll leave in a-"

"Is this where we were supposed to meet?"

They all looked up at the sound of his voice but no one but Lizzie got up. "Ripred!"

"I thought that we were supposed to meet further in. I traveled a full extra hour."

"We weren't supposed to meet tomorrow, anyways." Luxa commented. "We are here early because the Overlanders mother will not let them come."

"Why have you brought the youngest two?"

"Hazard to speak to the Shakers if they want to negotiate and Lizzie to help him figure out how to talk with them."

"I do not think that it was wise to bring them," the Gnawer commented.

"And when I ask what you think, you will be the first to know."

Ripred shook his head. "I don't get it Gregor."

"What?"

"Why her?"

He rolled his eyes. "Can we leave now?"

Luxa stood up. "Fine."

As they all got back on their assigned Fliers, Lizzie asked, "What about Ripred?"

"He will run under us." Luxa informed her, a slight tone of joy in her voice. Gregor closed his eyes.

"Let's go already." He mumbled.

Luxa looked at him for a second before shaking her head. As the Fliers took off, Gregor opened his eyes, just to look around before closing them again. He felt Luxa shift so that she was facing him.

"What's wrong Overlander?" She asked.

"Nothing." He opened his eyes and stared into her eyes. He knew that Howard and Emmett were looking over at them but he ignored them. Luxa looked at the two of them before turning back to him. She leaned up to him.

In his ear, she whispered, "Do you have that feeling again?"

"Yeah." He mumbled.

She kissed his cheek before whispering, "If it gets too bad, I give full permission to kill Ripred or Emmett."

"What about Howard?"

"Right now, don't but, after about a day, you can probably do it." She smiled at him.

"You guys are sick." Hazard made a face.

"Not as sick as your face!" Lizzie called over.

"Lizzie, stop it." Gregor looked over at her. Luxa rolled her eyes, moving back from him, though she stayed facing him.

"Hey Gregor," Hazard said after about ten minutes. "Wanna see a card trick?"

His head was pounding, his heart racing, and he knew that it wouldn't stop until he killed something.

"Yeah, sure."

"Wait, where did you learn a card trick?"

Hazard smiled. "From someone."

"Hazard, I told you not to learn anything from Isaac."

"I didn't! I went to Nerissa and Isaac was there. Nerissa was showing me as he instructed her."

Luxa shook her head. "Whatever."

"Ha." Gregor forced a smile.

"What?"

"You-"

"Look alive guys. We've got company!" Emmett yelled. Gregor looked down and saw the Shakers. They weren't as big as the ones he had fought before but they were bigger than the ones above, way bigger. Gregor drew his sword. Aurora, already predicting what he wanted to do, flew him over one of the Shakers.

"Overlander, we do not know if they are-" Luxa tried but he just jumped off the golden Flier. This time, he was expecting the pain he got from the fall. He immediately pulled his sword, slicing ones head right off. He saw Ripred in battle with another. Emmett had gotten Lizzie onto Nike and was fighting one. Luxa was doing her best to fight while on Aurora, Hazard watching Gregor closely, a fascinated look on his face. Suddenly, Hazard started yelling.

"Stop! Stop it Gregor! Luxa, stop! They don't want to hurt us. Leave them alone!"

Luxa pulled back, as did Emmett when they realized what he was saying. Ripred stopped after a second too but Gregor was too far gone. He continued stabbing and slashing. He had already killed about nineteen of the twenty Shakers they had run into and was starting on the next one when something slashed the back of his head.

"Ripred!" Luxa yelled at him. Gregor though, just turned his attack onto the Gnawer. The last Shaker slithered away, no doubt to in form others that they were here.

"Overlander, stop it!" He felt someone wrap one of their arms around his neck, pulling him away. He finally stopped. The person, who had pulled him away, Emmett, tossed him to the ground. Gregor looked around and saw that everyone was watching him. All of them except for Ripred and Luxa had a look of fear on their faces. Even Lizzie…

"Did you not hear him?" Emmett yelled at him. "He said that they-"

"Stop it Emmett." Luxa got off Aurora when she landed. She helped Gregor up. "Your head is cut, thanks to Ripred. Howard, bandage it."

"You killed them! You killed all of them. They were pleading with you to stop." Hazard glared at Gregor.

Luxa looked at him. "How did you understand them? You have already figured out their language."

"No. But they were saying to stop. I knew that. They said that in hisser. Then, in Twister, they said surrender. I told you to stop, Gregor!"

Ripred yawned, stretching. "It's no use, boy. Gregor is a blazer now. He didn't hear you. Even if he had, he wouldn't had listened to you. Once he gets a taste of blood, he can't stop. Curse of the blazer, eh Overlander? Being a rager doesn't look so bad now, huh?"

Gregor ignored him, allowing Howard to bandage his head. Luxa went over to Hazard. She whispered something to him but he just shook his head. Sighing, she ran a hand through his hair and said something else. Again, he shook his head.

"Are you okay, Ripred?" Lizzie asked, going over to the rat.

"Of course. You didn't think your brother hurt me, did you? Ha, hardly."

As he had had his kill, Gregor felt normal again. When Howard finished with his head, he said, "Thanks, Howard."

He nodded at him before going back to Nike. Gregor walked over to Aurora and Luxa, but Hazard got mad.

"No, I don't want him to fly with us."

"Hazard-" Luxa started but Emmett cut her off.

"The Hero can ride with me." He offered.

Luxa looked down at Hazard before sighing. "Fine. Lizzie, you can ride with me."

Gregor went over to Eros and got on. Emmett said something to Ripred before also getting on.

* * *

They had just finished eating and were at the place they were to stay for the night. Emmett looked around.

"Who has first watch?" The general asked.

"I do." Luxa offered.

Ripred stretched out on the ground. "Well, I'm beat."

Lizzie laid down near him. "Night Gregor."

Gregor remembered that look of fear that he saw on his little sisters face and felt bad. "Night."

Emmett went over to Eros and started talking. Howard went over to Gregor. "How is your head?"

"Fine."

"Good. I'm sure it will be healed tomorrow."

"Yeah." Gregor agreed. Luxa rolled her eyes.

Gregor waited to say something to her until everyone was sleeping, Hazard sleeping on the other side of his cousin.

"Hey." He whispered.

She looked at him. "You should sleep."

He laid down on the ground, laying his head in her lap. "Is Hazard really mad at me?"

"Yeah. You're sister is…upset about you too." Luxa started playing with his hair. "They were talking though."

"About what?"

"About the Shakers language."

"At least they're not fighting."

"I didn't say that."

Gregor smiled, closing his eyes. "You know, before the Shakers came, you said it."

"Said what?"

"Whatever."

"I did not!"

"Yes you did." He laughed a little. "I guess that you're not as 'intelligent' as you think you are."

She thumped him in the head. "Go to sleep."

"That hurt, you know. I do have a head injury!"

Luxa leaned down and kissed the bandage. "Better?"

"Much."


	13. Chapter 13

Gregor and the Hidden Prophecies

Chapter 13

"Gregor, look." Luxa stood up, causing his still sore head to fall to the ground.

"Ow, Luxa!"

"Emmett! Get up!" She yelled. "There's a flier coming this way."

Emmett shot up. "A Flier?"

Aurora ruffled her wings. "There a few banished Fliers that are supposed to live out here."

"No, this one's too small." Emmett shook his head. "Would you get up, Ripred?"

"If it's small then I think that the Hero can take it. Hell, Luxa could take it." The Gnawer yawned. "Wake me when it grows into something bigger."

Gregor drew his sword. "Are we just going to wait for it?"

Luxa got onto Aurora and took off. They all watched with the dim light that the fire gave off as Aurora approached the Flier. After a moment, they both returned.

"Hi Gregor!"

The Hero groaned. "Nash."

Luxa sighed, getting off her bond. "Someone has to take him and the Flier back to Regalia. I vote Emmett."

"What?" Emmett glared at her before turning his gaze onto the boy. "Why are you here anyways?"

Nash looked at the ground. "I'm here to help Gregor."

"Nash, do you know how stupid it was to follow me?" Gregor shook his head. "You could have gotten hurt or killed!"

"I just want to help!"

Gregor shook his head. "You've got to go home, Nash."

"I can't! Hemera is tired." He looked at the yellow and orange Flier. "Right Hemera?"

"Yes." She purred with a slight smile. "We have traveled a long way."

Nike went over to the Flier. "You have flown the whole way without stopping?"

"No but we have only stopped twice."

Nike shook her head. "She cannot fly back, not today."

Ripred finally got up, stretching. "The Flier will not have to. How many people were supposed to join you, Luxa?"

"Nine."

"Then the boy and Flier will stay."

Luxa smiled. "Yes. And Emmett and Eros will leave."

"No." Emmett looked hard at her.

Ripred shook his head. "I will be leaving and will take Lizzie with me."

"What? No!" Lizzie glared at him. "Why do I have to leave?"

"This is not a safe place."

"And? If Hazard gets to stay, so do I. And I have to help him with learning how to speak Shaker."

"She is not leaving. Emmett is." Luxa insisted. Gregor sighed.

"Luxa-"

Emmett cut Gregor off. "Not everything is about you, Luxa. I am a very important part of this quest."

"We could do without you. Besides, if Mareth wasn't missing a leg, you would not have even been considered for this quest."

"What have I ever done to you, Luxa? What? Would you kindly tell me?"

She stared at him for a second before shaking her head. "I do not have to explain myself or my decisions to you."

"I give up. You a selfish, useless, little spoiled brat!"

"I'm spoiled?" She laughed a dry laugh. "You are nothing but a rat that got a lucky break."

"Explains why your father would rather spend all his time with me!"

"Yes, because your mother was such a worthless whore that he felt bad for you that your own father couldn't even be around her so much that he killed himself."

Emmett's eyes flared. "It never was explained why your father was killed so far away from your mother. He was with her when the attack happened, yes? Did he not care enough to save her life?"

Luxa eyes hardened. "He cared enough to marry her instead of your wretched mother."

"Stop it!" Howard yelled at the two of them. Ripred was just sitting there, an amused look on his face. Clearly, he was greatly enjoying this. Howard, however, looked distraught. "No one is going anywhere, at least not tonight. Let's just all go to sleep."

Luxa went over to Aurora, whispered something to her and then took off. Emmett when over to Eros and sat down next to him.

"I'll take watch." Ripred offered. Lizzie laid down next to the big rat. Gregor sighed, looking at Nash.

"Come on, go to sleep." Gregor told him. His flier and he both laid down next to the ex-warrior.

"I'm sorry I made them fight." Nash whispered to Gregor in the darkness.

"You didn't. They've been waiting for a reason to fight since I got here." Gregor thought about what they had said. What had happened between their parents? Apparently, it was something big. He had never even heard of Emmett before this trip to the Underland. He shook his head.

"Nash, do your parents know that you're here?" Gregor asked after a moment.

"No…but yours don't either!"

He groaned. "Nash."

"I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "So is Hemera your bond?"

"Yeah." He smiled. "Even Edward didn't have a bond."

Gregor rolled his eyes.

* * *

It was about an hour later when he woke up. He heard voices. He turned his head and saw Nash still next to him. He looked at his other side and saw that Luxa was back. She had her back to him, facing Hazard. They were both asleep though…

"But why does he get to stay?"

"Because, Lizzie, I can't control what he does."

So it was Ripred and Lizzie. Gregor closed his eyes again.

"Then who does?"

"Luxa does at the moment." The Gnawer sighed. "If there was an attack, Luxa would protect Hazard no matter what."

"Gregor would save me."

"No, he wouldn't."

Gregor opened his eyes. What did Ripred mean he wouldn't save his sister?

"Yes he would!"

"No. You saw him fight, didn't you? He can't control it, Lizzie. He would want to save you but he couldn't. It would be best if I took you back."

"But-"

"It's late. Go to sleep."

Gregor shook his head, angry with the Gnawer. He would save his sisters life! Ripred doesn't know what he's taking about.

"Don't listen to him."

He turned and saw that Luxa still had her back to him. "What?"

"You would save your sister. If you didn't, I would. She would be safe."

"Yeah, I know." Gregor shook his head. "Who are you going to make leave?"

"I am not making anyone leave. If Ripred does not want to be here so badly, he should have said so from the start. But, I think that it would be best if your friend left."

"Yeah, I know. But isn't her a little bit better than Lizzie? He can fight at least."

"I still think that she would be helpful for figuring out the Shakers language."

"Hey, Romeo and Juliet shut up and go to sleep." Ripred yelled over at them.

Gregor rolled his eyes but did shut up.

* * *

Gregor was the first up, besides Ripred who was helping himself to some food and Emmett who was running his sword against some stone, sharpening. He wasn't particularly interested in talking to either of them, after the fight Emmett had had with Luxa, no matter how much she deserved it, and what Ripred had said about him not saving Lizzie. So he decided to bother Luxa.

She had rolled over to face him in her sleep. She looked so peaceful in her sleep…oh well. He laid back down, facing her. He started blowing in her face. She moaned in her sleep, squirming slightly. He kept doing it, moving his air stream down to her nose.

"Stop Hazard."

He smiled, stopping for a second before beginning again.

"Hazard, I mean it." She smiled a little. "You're breath smells good for once."

"Thanks."

She flung open her eyes. "Overlander."

He laughed as she hit him in the chest. "What?"

Rolling her eyes, she sat up. "We should get g- Ripred! You can not eat that much!"

"Yes, I believe I can."

Luxa shook her head. "Don't touch the rest of the food. We do not know how long we will be out here."

"If you run out of food, just have your little Hero run out and kill something to eat. Win, win, eh Gregor?" The Gnawer laughed.

"Shut Ripred. You're not funny." Gregor really didn't want to do with the rat right now. Luxa looked at him but he didn't say anything to her. Hazard opened his eyes.

"Luxa, is Lizzie leaving?" He asked immediately.

"No!" Lizzie, who they had all assumed was still sleeping, sat up, glaring at him. "That boy that came to help Gregor is."

"No, Lizzie," the Gnawer stopped eating for a moment. "We are."

Luxa sighed. "Ripred, I asked you here because-"

"Yeah, I know. Those Gnawers that live here, right? I think that it won't matter what they speak." Ripred looked at Gregor. "Your Hero here will kill them regardless of what they speak."

"I said to shut up!" Gregor jumped up.

Emmett shook his head as the rat fell over with laughter. "Get up Ripred. You and the girl should start going."

Ripred ignored him. "He thinks that he can, oh man, the boy thinks he can fight me? And win?"

Howard, who had woken up, looked over at Gregor and then Ripred. "Come on, Lizzie. Help me set aside some food for the two of you."

Lizzie, having finally given up on staying, went over to the bags they had the food in and helped the future doctor. Nash stood up and stood next to his hero.

"You could so take him Gregor." Nash bragged his hero.

Shaking his head, Gregor looked down at Nash who stared back up at him, smiling. "You think so?"

"Yeah."

The ex-rager nodded. "Me too."

Aurora opened her wings, as if she were stretching them out. "Are we leaving now?"

Luxa nodded. "Ripred, do you two need anything besides food?"

"Besides a Hero to kill everything in sight? No, I think we're good."

Gregor had had enough of the stupid rat. He moved his hand towards his sword but Luxa grabbed his arm. Ripred didn't notice though. Gregor shrugged the queen off before going over to his sister.

"Bye Liz."

"Bye." She hugged her brother. "Even though I think that if I have to go, Hazard should have to too."

"No! The only reason you were here was for me." Hazard told her."

"What?"

"Yeah. You were here to help me. I proved that I don't need you help."

"Hazard, stop it." Luxa sent him a look.

He frowned but got quiet. The peacemaker stretched before going over to Lizzie.

"Alright, let's go."

Lizzie climbed onto Ripred's back, a bag with food in it on her back.

"Run like the river, Ripred." Howard told him.

"Fly you high and all the junk." The Gnawer took off. Once he was gone, Emmett put the food back onto Eros.

"Will the Hero be riding with me again?"

"Yes." Luxa told him getting onto Aurora. "Hemera, you are no doubt tired. Nash, you will ride with Howard."

"Which one's Howard?" Nash asked Gregor.

"That one." He nodded at the sixteen year old. Emmett got onto his bond, as did the others, except for Nash, who went over to Nike, climbing on. Gregor took a look at Hazard but he ignored him, instead getting onto Aurora. Gregor tried to think of a way of making the Halflander like him as they took off again but, he couldn't figure it out. Why was the boy so mad at him? Sure he had killed those Shakers but he couldn't help that. Could he?

* * *

"We have not seen anything for awhile, Luxa." Howard looked over at his cousin. "Is that not weird?"

"I do not know. The Overlander let one of the Shakers live. Perhaps it has warned the others that we are here." Luxa offered. They had been flying for almost a whole day and still were getting nothing.

"Maybe we should have rested and partied more," Said Emmett. "Maybe it is not time to fulfill this prophecy."

Luxa got defensive. "This was the only time to do it. If we did not, Gregor's mother would have made them leave."

"She could have agreed if you fought for him staying instead of deciding that she was not worth your time."

"How was it to only help training the children, Emmett?" Luxa asked.

"What?"

"Right now, I think that it is a better place for you, much better then being a general in _my_ army. I would rather have a traitor like Javan here instead of a nugatory fighter like y-"

"Silence." Howard looked at the two of them. "Your fighting is childish. It is no way for a queen to behave much less one of her soldiers."

"And you are any better? Turning your back on your queen?" Emmett challenged.

Gregor closed his eyes. "All of you shut up. None of you are any better than each other and are any smarter so just shut up."

"When did you think that you had control over anyone, Overlander?" Luxa questioned.

"When I became a good enough fighter to kill all of you with out a second thought." He was lying…about the second thought anyways.

"You could not-" Luxa started, arrogant as always but Nash cut her off.

"Gregor could kill all of you with one hand tied behind his back. Right Gregor?" His family had always taught him to respect his leaders, whether it be his king or queen or even a high ranking person in the army but the boy felt more respect was deserved by the Hero. After all, where would they be with out him?

No one else said anything. Gregor wished that they would just run into some Shakers so that he could kill them. Not because he had that feeling again but because that would mean that this would be over. Then, though, he remembered that that meant that he had to go back home. He did not want to go back there. He just wanted to… he wasn't sure what he wanted. He knew that he couldn't stay here, not forever but going back up there didn't appeal to him at all.

* * *

"Is this your card?"

"No."

Hazard frowned. "Oh…it worked when Isaac did it."

Shrugging, Nash said, "I bet Gregor could do it."

Emmett, who was sitting next to them groaned. "You treat him like royalty."

"He's better than royalty!" Nash glared at the general.

Luxa shook her head, looking at Gregor. "At least those girls left you alone after awhile. He thinks that you are the best thing ever."

"Yeah. Who knew I would have so many followers."

"Wait until you lose a battle. No one will care for you."

"Except you right?"

Luxa smirked. "No. Winning is the only attractive thing about you."

"Because she's defiantly not attracted to your dashing good looks," Howard commented. After a glare from Gregor, he sighed. "I am sorry Overlander. I am overly tired and have spent too much time with Ripred."

"One minute is too much time with that rodent."

Gregor looked over at Emmett. "You don't like Ripred?"

"He is overly confident."

"And you are not?" Luxa looked over at him.

"I-"

Gregor cut Emmett off. "Just be quiet, Luxa."

"What?"

"No one wants to hear you two argue."

Luxa turned her head, now looking at Hazard. "You should have given those cards back to Lizzie."

"She doesn't need them. She had Ripred to play with. I only have you."

Luxa rolled her eyes. "Have you done anymore with figuring out their language?"

"No! I heard one of them talk one time, Luxa."

She said nothing, instead focusing on the fire. Howard stood up. "Should we not leave now?"

"We have only been sitting for a few minutes, Howard." Emmett looked at the younger boy.

"Yes but we are here for a reason. We need to find the Shakers."

"We do not even know if we are going the right way, cousin." Luxa kept staring into the flames.

"So you wish to wait for them to find us?"

Gregor closed his eyes. "What if we split up?"

"That is unsafe." Emmett turned his attention to the Hero.

Gregor shrugged. "It's better than this."

"What is it you wish to do?" Eros asked.

"I don't know. I think that someone should stay here and then two others should go and scout the land."

"Then clearly you mean Emmett, Eros, Nike, and I go so that you can get closer to Luxa?" Howard looked hard at him.

"No." Gregor got indignant. "I thought that I would go and Emmett."

"What of me and Aurora? We are just supposed to stay here with Howard?"

"Someone has to stay behind." Emmett nodded his head a little. "I think that the Overlander's idea is wonderful-"

"A minute ago you were against it." Luxa crossed her arms. "Why should I and Howard not go?"

Gregor sighed. She just had to make everything difficult. "Because, Luxa, Emmett and I are better fighters than you, hands down."

Luxa snorted. "Emmett? Hazard and Nash could beat him easily."

The general shook his head but Gregor just continued. "And, because you're the queen. Your life is more valuable to Regalia than all of ours. Howard is the medic. He should stay here and, if we need him, we will come back. If we do not come back at a reasonable time, he and Nike would come for us."

"But Gregor, you do not have a flier," Nike pointed out.

"You could use Hemera!"

Gregor shook his head. "No Nash."

The boy glared. "She's just as good as any of these fliers!"

Hemera ruffled her wings. "Nash."

He crossed his arms but didn't say anything else. Luxa, however, smiled triumphantly.

"As Gregor does not have a flier, I suppose that he should stay behind and Aurora and I-

Emmett cut her off. "Aurora, would you not be willing to go with the warrior. You have, no doubt, been around him when he has fought. You would be a good choice for-"

"No." Luxa frowned again. "The _Hero_ can just stay here."

Emmett sighed. "I am sorry if I called him by the wrong title. But, this does not change the fact that it would be better for him to go than you."

Hazard, having gotten bored with the whole thing, butted in. "Luxa, why does it matter?"

"I just think-" She started but again was cut off, this time by Gregor.

"I'm going and so is Emmett. Get over it."

The queen's eyes flared. "Fine. Go. But you are not using Aurora."

"I would be delighted to take the Hero." Nike offered. "Howard can use Aurora if he needs to-"

"I will take him." Aurora opened her wings. "I make my own decisions."

"Aurora-" Luxa tried but was, yet again, cut off.

"Then it is settled." Emmett got onto his bond. "Overlander, you shall go west and I shall go south. If within two hours we do not find anything, we shall report back."

And that, was that.

* * *

Gregor felt weird, being on Aurora without Luxa. He had never been around the flier much and, even though they had been alone a little on this trip, he still got an uncomfortable feeling. He wished somewhat that Aurora had said nothing and let Nike take him. The other part of him, though, was glad that Aurora stood up to Luxa. After nearly forty minutes of silence, Gregor spoke.

"You hurt your wing a while back. If you need to stop-"

"I am fine, Overlander," Aurora replied back, coolly."

"Right, okay."

The bat was silent for a few moments before speaking. "You would have been better with Nike, no?"

"No…I just…you're great."

The Flier seemed to sigh. "I am sorry. I was angry with Luxa. Next time, you may take Nike."

Aurora always seemed so nice to him. She was always so willing to do whatever her bond wished. He never thought that much about what the Flier wanted… "No, really. It's alright."

The Flier made a noise before falling silent again. Gregor sighed, also getting quiet. His thoughts started to drift to his mother and what she did when she found out that he had snuck out with Luxa and the others, to do another mission. Virginia seemed to get closer and closer everyday… It was nearly an hour later before either of them uttered a word.

"Overlander-"

"I hear." He drew his sword. The rattling noise. Dang, he didn't even have the feeling to kill…what a waste.

"Oh." The golden bat stopped flapping for a second out of shock.

Gregor swallowed. "I-I think that we found there home."

"Are you going to-"

He could take them…right? "Y-Yeah."

"But what if they are peaceful?"

Crap… "I'm stilling going after them."

"Overlander-"

He jumped off her. Aurora, however, shocked him by flying under him, catching him again. He was not prepared for this and had been trying to get his sword in position for battle. Her catching him early made him hit her back at a weird angle…and his sword go into his chest.

"Ah!"

The cry made the Shakers aware that he was here.

"No!" Gregor winced in pain as they flier flew away. "Aurora-"

"You are injured."

"I'll heal. Take me back. Ah." He laid back on her. Should he pull the sword out? He always heard that you leave it in…right? "You've got to take me back."

She ignored him, flying faster than she had been. Gregor heard the Shakers rattle as they followed closely behind. He didn't feel an pain from that point forth. His whole body was numb but not from the wound. From the feeling that was taking over him. He could take them. Even with this wound, he could kill all of them. He didn't know what possessed him to take the sword out but he did. It hadn't gone in very deep. The Shakers were right under them now, trying to get them. This wasn't the ideal way to battle but… He jumped off her. This time Aurora was not expecting it and did not catch him in time. He landed on one of the Shakers with a thud. He knew that after that he was fighting but he didn't remember the rest.


	14. Chapter 14

Gregor and the Hidden Prophecies

Chapter 14

When he opened his eyes, he came face to face with Nash. He jerked away at first, not sure what was going on. Then he remembered. He was fighting and had beaten them all. Aurora was taking him back when he passed out from loss of blood. He hadn't even realized that he was still bleed until the tired feeling went away. Apparently, that chest wound was worse than he thought.

"He's awake!" Nash turned to look at the others.

Gregor sat up. "Wh-"

"You are foolish, Overlander."

Great, Luxa was mad at him. "Wh-"

"You put, not only your life in danger but more importantly, Aurora's. You-"

"Leave him alone, Luxa." Howard went over to him. "How do you feel? Seems that the only wound you have is acquired was self-inflicted."

Gregor nodded, looking down at his chest. His shirt was gone and his chest wrapped. "Yeah. When can the bandage come off?"

"You have only been unconscious for a few hours. But I am sure that your body will need rest. I do not think that we should stay in the Uncharted Lands. I think that we should turn back-"

"No." Luxa crossed her arms. "He wishes to pretend to be a blazer, fine. A blazer would heal on their own."

"He lost blood, Luxa." Emmett sent her a look. "Clearly, it would be better for him if we took him back and let him rest."

"It does not matter what is better for him. It matters what is better for Regalia and the Fount, which would be for him to fight off the Shakers before he has to go to Virginia."

Part of Gregor was mad that she didn't care if he was okay and the other was slightly happy that she remembered what Virginia was called.

Howard shook his head. "Would it not be better for Regalia for their Hero to be well rested?"

"We do not have time for him to be well rested. He has agitated the Shakers enough that they more than likely will not wish to try and be peaceful with us anymore." Luxa stared hard at all of them. "Do you wish to be run out of our home again? This time by Shakers?"

No one said anything to that. Howard looked back at Gregor. "We should just stay here for the night. You must rest."

"I'm fine." Gregor sat up.

Luxa shook her head. "We can stay here for now."

The young medic went back over to his bond as Luxa sat next to Gregor. Nash had gone over to Hemera and Hazard, who were playing with Isaac's cards.

"So…how many Shakers did I kill?" Gregor tried to keep the excitement out of his voice but it was hard to mask.

"Aurora said around thirty or forty. It was not all of them, only a small group of them. There are hundreds here, so we believe." Luxa rolled her eyes at his enjoyment from killing them. "You should not have attacked them. And you got hurt."

"I didn't get me hurt, Aurora got me hurt."

"She did not!" Luxa was clearly very protective of her bond. Aurora, who was within earshot of them, ruffled her wings. "Your own stupidity did."

Gregor shook his head. "Whatever Luxa."

She stood up and went over to a bag that was near her cousin and Nike. She grabbed a shirt out of it before walking back over to Gregor. She tossed it to him. "Yours was badly torn."

"Thanks."

She just turned and sat next to her bond. Gregor pulled the shirt over his head as Emmett got up and sat down next to him.

"You will be alright on the morrow?" Emmett asked him.

"Yeah, I think so. I'm fine now." Gregor looked over at Aurora and Luxa. "Aurora didn't get-"

"No. She is fine."

"Oh." Then why was Luxa so mad at him? Emmett seemed to pick up on what he was thinking, as the boy had it written all over his face.

"Luxa was already angry that she was told to stay behind. She is not mad at you, necessarily, but more mad at everyone in general."

Gregor nodded a little, still watching the queen and her bond. After a moment, Luxa looked up and saw him staring at her. She gazed back at him for a minute or two before looking away. Shaking his head, Emmett smirked at Gregor.

"If you have the queen of the Underland, I am sure that you get many girls in the Overland, eh Gregor?"

No. He shrugged. "You?"

The older guy laughed. "Pretty good haul. Not nearly as great as you, Hero."

Gregor held in a groan. "Thanks..."

Emmett laughed at the look on the younger boys face. "Take it as a compliment. Not many can get close to a queen, let alone a queen like Luxa."

"We're not close," Gregor mumbled.

Emmett gave the Overlander a sobered look. "You are closer to her than many, Gregor."

Gregor could tell from the look on Emmett's face that he was serious. Luxa didn't seem to care for Emmett at all but Emmett clearly cared about his queen.

"Yeah…right."

"You are. Do not abuse that right or get used to it." Emmett stood up and went over to Eros. Gregor sighed, going over to Nash, Hemera, and Hazard.

"Hey guys."

"Hi Gregor." Nash looked at him. "Do you feel better?"

"Yeah." Gregor looked at Hazard. "I'm…sorry about not listening to you."

Hazard just kept looking at his cards. "It's fine."

Gregor held in a sigh. "You wanna show me your card trick?"

Hazard looked up, smiling. "Okay. I've been practicing."

* * *

Luxa stared at Gregor. "I am not sorry."

"I didn't say you should be. I'm just saying Emmett's not that bad."

Luxa rolled her eyes. "I think that he is."

Gregor shook his head. The fire had gone out and neither of them felt like getting up to start it again. It was early and Emmett had woken Gregor up for last watch. Luxa had already been up, finding sleep difficult. Now they were sitting next to each other, talking.

"One of us should start the fire back up."

The future queen looked at him. "Then get up and do it."

"You do it."

"You are the one on watch, are you not?"

"Yeah but you're annoying me. If I have to put up with you, then you should restart the fire."

"No. I'm supposed to be asleep."

"Then get that way," Howard grumbled from somewhere in the darkness. "And Overlander, you should not let the fire go out. Now we do not know what lies in the darkness."

Luxa rolled her eyes. "Go back to sleep, Howard."

"I am trying to. It would be easier if both of you stop talking."

Shaking her head, Luxa said, "Go do the fire, Hero."

He held in a sigh, getting up to do so. Once he sat back down, Luxa laid on the ground. She watched him watch her for a while, waiting for Howard to fall back asleep. After ten minutes, Gregor spoke.

"I'm sorry that I fought those Shakers."

"Why are you apologizing to me?"

"Because you were mad at me, over 'risking Aurora's life'."

Luxa closed her eyes. "Your apology is not accepted."

Should he be shocked? "Why not?"

"Because you will do it again. I will not forgive you for something that you are not truly sorry for."

"But I am sorry for it."

"No, you are not."

"Whatever Luxa."

"Very unintelligent of you."

"I think that it's 'unintelligent' of you to provoke me. Don't forget, Lux, I'm not only the Hero but also a blazer."

"I wouldn't provoke a queen that has a general and her cousin sleeping near her."

"How am I provoking you?"

"You did not call me by my name."

"Yeah I did."

"No. You called me by Lux again."

"Did not."

"Yes you did."

"No."

"I am not going to argue with you, Overlander."

"Oh, now I'm Overlander? Mad at me, Lux?"

"Stop calling me that."

"Why Lux?"

"Overlander-"

"Wait, be quiet." Gregor stood up.

"W-"

"Shhh." He heard it. It was very faint but he heard it. Eros, who apparently was awake too, opened his wings.

"Do you hear it, Overlander?" The dark colored bat questioned.

Gregor nodded. "Yeah. It sounds like a wolf."

Luxa sat up. "Is it Howlers, Eros?"

"Yes."

She nodded, standing. "Emmett, awaken. Emmett!"

"What?" He shot up, much like the night Nash showed up. "What is wrong?"

"The Overlander hears Howlers." Luxa went over to Hazard, shaking his shoulder. "Hazard, awaken."

The boy groaned, opening his eyes. "What?"

"We must leave."

Gregor just stood there. "Wait, what are Howlers?"

Emmett, who, along with the now awake Howard, was putting the water bags on Eros, looked over at him. "You can hear them?"

"Yeah…they sound like wolves."

"Being a blazer must have strengthened your hearing." Emmett went to put the bags of food on Nike.

"But what are they?"

Luxa started putting out the fire. "They are, what I believe you call…a wolf?"

"Let me guess, they are much bigger than what's in the Overland?"

Luxa nodded. "They also travel in packs. We do not interact with them, they are too deadly."

Gregor smiled. "Really?"

Emmett shook his head. "Wrong choice of words, my queen. Now he wants to fight them, eh Overlander?"

He could only nod. Luxa rolled her eyes. "You would surely die. And, thoughthe thought does appease to me at the moment, we need you for the prophecy. Nash, you will ride with Howard again, Gregor with Emmett. Let's go."

"But-"

"Come on Overlander." Emmett called to him. Gregor stared out into the darkness, feeling that tiredness come over him. He needed a kill.

"Gregor, let's go." Luxa touched his shoulder. "Come."

He bit his lip before going over to Eros and getting on. He silently made a promise to find a pack of Howlers one day, just to prove he could kill them.

* * *

"No."

"Please? If I eat it all now, I won't need to eat for like three days!"

"Hazard, it does not work that way." Luxa dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "Go play with Nash."

"But Luxa-"

"You are not going to see how much bread you can eat before you get sick, Hazard."

"You're no fun."

"You are not the first to tell me that and will not be the last. Now go."

He frowned, walking over to Nash, who was leaning up against Hemera. They had stopped again, after flying for ten hours. Gregor was lying on the ground, trying to sleep. He felt tired but it was that bloodlust tired that was a side effect of being a blazer. Luxa rolled her eyes at Hazard before turning them to Gregor.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing," he mumbled, closing his eyes.

"Gregor-"

"I just want to see a Howler, okay?"

Luxa was silent for a moment. "Why?"

"To see if I could fight them."

"Why does it matter? It would prove nothing if you did kill them but it you lost, it would leave Regalia in peril. We were wise to run."

"If they want us, they'll get us." Gregor opened his green eyes to look into her violet ones. "I jus think it would be better to be prepared for the battle, not to be surprised."

"We shall never be surprised, what with your amazing hearing," Emmett praised the teen. "We would surely be lost without you."

Gregor couldn't tell if he was taunting him or not so he decided to take it as a compliment. "Still. I want to kill them."

"Not them. Just something, right?" Eros laughed a little. "The ultimate weapon. It is a shame that you will die soon."

"Eros," Emmett sighed.

Yawning, Gregor sat up. "Can we go now?"

"The Fliers are still tired, Gregor." Luxa stood up and went over to her bond. Gregor yawned again, before going over to Howard and Nike.

"Hello, Overlander." Howard smiled at him as he sat down. "How is your chest?"

"Healed."

"Good." Laughing, Howard handed Gregor some bread. "You had us all worried, you know, passing out like that. Even Emmett feared that you were going to die."

"I lost that much blood?"

He nodded. "Yes. I do not understand how you have healed."

"I thought I was a blazer?"

"Still. You must have formed more blood, somehow." The young medic shook his head. "I do not know much about blazers. I suppose that that is just something you do."

"Yeah." Gregor agreed as Nash walked towards them.

"Hi Gregor." He sat down next to him.

"Hey Nash." Gregor looked at Howard. "Are we going to split up again?"

"It did not go so good the last time."

"Yeah it did. I killed some shakers."

"And got injured."

"Only to heal myself."

Howard shook his head. "I do not think that Luxa will not allow it anyways."

The Hero snorted but kept his thoughts to himself.

* * *

He tried to slow down his breathing as he came off the high. Staring at what he did made his head hurt so, instead, he turned his attention to Luxa. She was kneeling next to Hazard, wrapping the long gash on his arm.

"Alright?"

Gregor turned to see who said that. Emmett… Everything blurred again. "What?"

"Are you okay? Any injuries?"

Gregor shook his head, trying to remember what happened. They were all laying around and he just went off. On what? He looked at the ground and saw them…people. His mind was blank, he didn't remember killing people. Howard wasn't there. All the bats seemed fine…except Hemera. He stared at the headless bat for a second before looking around for his follower.

"Nash," he mumbled.

"He is fine." Emmett put his sword away. "Nike has taken him for a fly. Howard went with them. We will meet them in a moment."

Gregor looked at Luxa but she was still concentrated on her cousin.

"Are you alright now?" Luxa looked at Hazard.

"I would have been better if you let me have a sword."

Luxa shook her head, standing. Her eyes briefly fell on the dead flier before turning away and looking at Emmett.

"The Overlander is fine?"

The general nodded. "Howard took Nash away…so he didn't have to stay around Hemera."

Luxa nodded. "Let's go then."

Gregor was still looking at the bodies. "Who were they?"

"A rouge tribe." Luxa went over to Aurora. "We banish people from Regalia at times, as an alternative to death. Many band together. They saw us and attacked."

"I-I don't remember."

Emmett gave him a weird look before getting onto Eros. "Let's go find Howard and Nike."

Luxa stared at Gregor as she got onto her bond. "You don't remember?"

"No." He got onto Eros. As they took off to find the others, Gregor asked, "What happened to Hemera?"

It was silent for a moment before Luxa spoke. "One of them took that boy, Hemera's bond; they took his sword and were going to kill him. Hemera protected him."

It was quiet the whole way back. When they finally came upon the medic, Nike, and the ten year old, they all were slightly sickened by the thought of the dead Flier. It was not so much that any of them would miss her but of the thought of Nash having to lose her. When they landed, Gregor saw Nash sitting by himself, knees pulled to his chest, head down.

Howard looked up from the fire he had started. "Did you take care of Hazard's wound?"

"Yes." Luxa got off Aurora. "Nike, you wing-"

"-is fine."

Luxa nodded. "You can still fly on it?"

Nike nodded. "Yes."

Gregor sat down, Luxa next to him. They were quiet for a moment before Luxa spoke. "You are alright?"

"Yeah. You?"

"One of them reopened an old scar, that is all."

Gregor looked her over, looking for what she was speaking of but didn't see any wounds on her. He was about to ask what she meant but she started talking again.

"You should go talk to your friend. He is not doubt hurting."

"Yeah." Gregor wanted to go talk to Nash but didn't know what to say to him. Sure, he had lost a bond but no one felt the same after losing someone, did they? What if he said the wrong thing?

Luxa stood up and went over to Hazard, who had went back to sleep. This trip was starting to suck…okay so it sucked from the start but now they had lost someone. Now he had to beat the Shakers, if not only to impress Nash and make him feel better. He got up, going over to the ten year old.

Sitting next to him, Gregor gave him a head nod. "Hey Nash."

Nash mumbled hi.

Gregor held in a sigh. "You know…I lost my bond."

Nash didn't say anything.

"I know that you probably don't want to listen to me right now but…at least you know that Hemera loved you. She cared enough about you to be killed for you."

Nash shrugged. "I don't care. She was stupid."

"What?"

"She was stupid to do that. I would rather be dead than her."

"Don't say that, Nash." Gregor shook his head. "Be glad that you're here."

"Why should I?"

Gregor frowned. "Because here, you should know by now that everyday you live, is a miracle. You could be dead tomorrow."

"So? I don't care."

Gregor stood up. "Alright, fine. Just…if you want to talk, I will with you. If you don't, whatever."


	15. Chapter 15

Gregor and the Hidden Prophecies

Chapter 15

Gregor sighed, listening to them argue for a while. Hazard continued with his trick, ignoring his cousin and the general. Howard, however, could not ignore them so easily.

"Stop it."

Luxa glanced at him before back at Emmett. "You are a worthless, horrible person. If it were not for Vikus and the Hero, I would not have allowed you to come."

"And you think that I wished to come? What have I ever even done to you? Be nice to you? Stand up for you?"

Luxa rolled her eyes. "You-"

"Do you hear that?" Gregor sat up.

They all looked at him.

"What, Overlander?" Howard turned his attention on him.

The boy frowned. "It's splashing."

"…Splashing?"

Gregor nodded. "Like water."

Luxa looked at her oldest cousin. "Is there water near here?"

"I do not know, Luxa. If there is, we should find it."

Looking at the ex-rager, Emmett asked, "Which way is the sound coming from?"

Gregor looked to the east. "That way."

"Shall we go?" Nike asked, opening her wings.

Luxa sighed. "There is no waterway around here. The Overlander is hearing things."

"Yeah, I'm hearing water."

Howard got onto Nike. "Let's go."

It was a short flight eastward before they could all hear the water and see it from the soft light of the torches. As soon as the fliers touched down, they all ran towards the water. Hazard pushed Nash in, laughing.

"Hazard!"

Nash surfaced, pushing his hair from his eyes. No one was sure how he would reacted and were waiting for something bad. Nash shocked them by just laughing along with Hazard…before pulling him in too. Luxa shook her head as Emmett pulled off his shirt. Luxa went over to Aurora, saying something to her before taking off.

"Where's she going?" Gregor asked.

Emmett took off his pants. "She is a queen and also the only woman. We are bathing, Gregor."

"Right." Gregor shook his head, taking off his shirt. Howard and Emmett both took of all of their clothes and Gregor hesitated for a second before remembering that, in the Underland, they all bathed together and had forever. This wasn't very different from showering after gym class at school. He felt uncomfortable at first but got used to it. Hazard and Nash got into a water fight, Howard watching on with a frown, Emmett with a smirk. After they all got out, they got dressed again, Nash and Hazard having to get clean clothes out of the bag, as they had gotten theirs soaked. After awhile, Luxa came back.

"We must refill the water bags," She said getting off her first bond. Her hair looked cleaner and was wet. She must have gone to some other part of the waterway to bath, Gregor decided. As Gregor and Howard started refilling their water supply, Emmett got out a scroll.

"What are you doing?" Hazard asked the general.

"I am mapping out the Uncharted Lands. Well, the once Uncharted ones, eh Luxa?"

She ignored him, sitting down. After Gregor was done helping the young medic with the water, he sat down next to her.

"Are you going to accept it now?"

"What?"

"The fact that I was right."

Luxa rolled her eyes. "Which way should we go now?"

"Oh no, you're not changing the subject now." He smiled at her. "Admit that I'm right."

"Alright, you were right," Luxa gave in. "Now, which way do you think we should head?"

Gregor shrugged. "I don't know." He turned to looked at Emmett. "Any ideas?"

"I think we should keep going east."

"Why?"

"B-"

A loud screech cut him off.

Luxa looked to her bond. "What was that?"

"I do not-"

"A Gnawer." Emmett stood up.

"That did not sound like a Gnawer."

"It is, though. A greatly tortured one."

"I have heard many tortured Gnawer but I have not one like that."

"Then you have not truly heard one, have you?" The general normally would be smirking at out doing her but his face was instead solemn, sobered.

"What would make it make that noise?" Howard asked.

Emmett shook his head. "I have only heard it once. When King Abaddon chose to slowly dismember a Gnawer. I was with him. He-"

"Silence!" Luxa's eyes bore into Emmett's. "You do not know what you speak of."

"Luxa, with all respect to the departed, we all know that King Abaddon took much pleasure from killing-"

"Emmett, should we not leave?" Howard asked, seeming to spare his cousin her pain. "Whatever that is does not sound like it is enjoying whatever may be happening to them. It would be in our best interest to leave, would it not?"

Emmett turned to Howard. "Yes, we should-"

"Their here." Gregor drew his sword from its sheath.

"I do not-" Luxa started but stopped, letting out a small scream before drawing her sword, turning. She cut off the hand of whatever had attacked her. As she was the closes to where the enemy was coming from, she took the brunt of the attack. The others joined in, Hazard getting onto Nike with Howard, as he was not taking part in the battle. Gregor felt his blazer senses take over and let them. At some point, his sword shattered and had had to pick up a fallen one. He wasn't sure who had dropped it or why but he was thankful for it. Once it was all over, the enemy's carcasses were strewn across the ground…along with one of their own.

When Gregor came too, Howard was on the ground, tending to Luxa's wounds. She was knocked out, bleeding heavily. Frowning, Gregor looked at what had attacked them, what had caused the queen to be taken out, what had forced a scream such as one of a dismembered Gnawer let loose. They looked like large, praying mantises. It was creeping, looking at them.

"Is she okay?" Hazard was next to his two cousins, a rare look on his face. The look of fear. The normally emotionless boy was worried about his cousin.

"I do not know."

Emmett, who was wrapping a wound on his arm, looking at the medic. "Then we shall head back. We have no choice."

Howard nodded. "Yes but not now. We cannot move her yet."

Aurora opened her wings. "We must take her now! If we were to leave her here, she will bleed out and die."

Looking at the Flier, Howard spoke in a soft voice, "If we were to take her back now, she would no doubt die in the air. It is best to stay here and let me tend to her. If her body can stable, then yes, we shall take Luxa back."

The Flier was clearly still upset but nodded. Gregor looked over his own body, checking for wounds. He found none. Looking at the sword in his hand, he realized it was Luxa's. He laid it down on the ground before going over to Nash.

"You alright?"

Nash nodded a little. "Better than Luxa."

Gregor bit his lip before sighing. "What are those things called?"

"What things?"

"The things that we fought."

"Slicers."

* * *

It was much later and most had fallen asleep. At first, no one found sleep remotely possible but slowly, they all fell asleep, except for Gregor and Howard.

"When we go back, what are we going to do?"

Howard glanced a Gregor, seeming uncertain about his sanity. "Get Luxa help."

"I know that! I meant about the quest."

Howard shrugged. "I do not know, Overlander. I would assume that your parents would take you back immediately. Maybe it was not meant to be accomplished yet."

"But the Shakers-"

"I do not know, Gregor." The medic sighed. "Perhaps we don't need you to fend them off yet. We might be able to do it on our own for the time being. I guess we'll find out."

It was silent for a while…until Luxa spoke.

"Howard?"

The two boys looked down at the injured queen. Howard spoke first. "Luxa? Are you awake?"

She groaned a little, opening her eyes. "What happened?"

"The Slicers attacked up and hurt you," said the medic. Luxa tried to sit up but he stopped her. "Do not move, Luxa. You are greatly injured."

"You're awake, Luxa?" Hazard, who apparently had woken up, went over to his caregiver.

"She has awakened?" Emmett sat up. "We must take her back immediately."

"Take me back?" Luxa frowned, forcing Howard to let her sit up. "I do not need to go back."

"You have lost much blood-"

"As did the Overlander."

"You are not a blazer." Aurora opened her wings. "We should leave now."

"I am not going back." Luxa, even in the state she was, was as stubborn as ever. "I am fine. Better than I was in the Hades Halls. Besides, we must finish the quest."

Emmett shook his head. "She is right."

"No. We are taking her back." Howard stood.

"I did not say we were not."

"Then what are you saying?"

"You take her back and I and the Hero stay to finish the-"

"No." Luxa closed her eyes, clearly not as much fight in her as usual. "We are all staying."

"I agree." Howard was going through his bag. "We cannot force her to go back."

If Luxa were her normal self, she would have noticed his giving in so easily. "See? Howard agrees."

"Here, this will help you." He handed her a bottle of something. "Drink it all."

Gregor was immediately reminded of Cartesian, when Howard had to knock him out too. Luxa drank it all. She had a sudden moment of clarity, turning her eyes on her oldest cousin.

"You-" She started but couldn't finish, instead making an odd noise. She fell back, as if she fainted, falling into Howard's arms outstretched arms. He laid her gently on the ground before standing.

"What did you do?" Hazard glared at the medic.

"It is fine, Hazard." Howard looked at Emmett. "Who will stay and who will go?"

"Me, Eros, and Gregor."

"I'm not going back!" Nash glared at the general.

Gregor shook his head. "Nash-"

"He can stay." Emmett looked at Aurora. "You will take Luxa and Howard on you. Hazard can go back on Nike."

"No," the princess shook her striped head. "If the three of you stay behind, you will need at least two Fliers. Aurora can surely handle the three of them."

Aurora nodded. "Yes."

"Nike, are you sure?" Howard looked at the Flier.

Nike nodded. "Yes."

Emmett went over to the future queen and picked her up. He laid her down on Aurora's back. "You should leave now."

"You know, she's not going to be happy when she wakes up," said Gregor.

Howard smiled a little. "Hopefully, we will have her back by then and the doctors will have to deal with her."

* * *

Gregor was on Nike, Nash with him. Emmett and Eros were flying ahead of them a little.

"Why didn't you want to go back?" Gregor asked Nash.

"Because, Hemera died because we came here. If I go back now, she'll have died for nothing."

Gregor considered this. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"How are we going to kill the Shakers without the others?"

The hero shrugged. "I don't know, Nash."

"Think that we'll still win?"

"Yeah, I guess." Gregor didn't want to think about the alternative. Instead he changed the subject. "Hey Nike?"

"Yes," purred the bat.

"When you become queen, what would happen to your bond, if you get one?"

"What do you mean?"

"Will they have to go back to the Flier land with you or will you still stay in Regalia?"

Nike thought for a moment. "I have not thought about this much, Gregor. Bonds do not have to live together. For example, Ripred and Luxa do not. Though many do stay close, I could be home and my bond in Regalia."

"You don't have a bond?" Nash asked. "I thought that you were Howard's bond?"

"No."

"Oh." Nash looked at Gregor. "Your sword broke."

"Yeah."

"So you're using Luxa's?"

"Yes."

"Doesn't she use a different type of sword than you?"

Gregor hadn't thought of that. He faintly remembered the first time he picked up a sword and Mareth asking him if it felt right or if he need a different one. "Luxa's is lighter but whatever."

"So you'll still be able to fight with it?"

"I fought those Slicers with it."

Nash suddenly thought of something. "What if Howard and them run into something. Like a group of Gnawers or another group of people?"

Gregor didn't know what to say. Nike did though. "Aurora would not stop. She will make sure that they get to Regalia as fast as possible."

Gregor felt calmed slightly from hearing that. "Yeah, they'll be fine."

* * *

"Do you hear that?"

Emmett's head shot up from the scroll he was mapping. "What is it?"

"…Talking." Gregor closed his eyes, hoping that the loss of sight would help his hearing. "It sounds like two men."

Emmett stood, drawing his sword. "How close are they?"

"Very." Gregor got up too.

"Can you hear what they are talking about?"

"…Luxa."

"What about her?"

"Something about now is the time. That she's injured." Gregor looked at the general. "We should go get them, right?"

"They clearly do not realize Luxa is not with us. The others should be very close to Regalia now if not there." Emmett smirked slightly. "I think we should wait for them, surprise them. There is only two of them?"

"…Yes."

"Alright."

Nash was standing there, waiting for instruction. Emmett told them to act normally, not to let on that they knew. Gregor sat back down, Luxa's sword in his hand. As they heard them approach, they all stood, waiting. The guy in front got his head sliced clean off my Emmett's sword. The other man lunged at the Hero but Gregor held up his sword, catching the other man's on his.

In the dim light of the fire, Gregor saw the last face he ever thought he would see again. He pushed the other man off him. It would have been the right time to stab the other but Gregor could not, too overcome with shock.

"Henry?"

The man laughed loudly, standing. "As if."

Gregor, confused shook his head, wishing that his blazer senses would take over but he couldn't kill the man, not tell he understood. A Flier flew overhead, going past them. The Henry look a like jumped on, flying off.

"Overlander, you could have had him!"

Gregor still couldn't comprehend what he had just seen. "That wasn't Henry?"

"No." Emmett shook his head. "Close resemblance, eh?"

Nash looked at Gregor. "Why didn't you kill him?"

Gregor remembered Luxa's words from the last fight they had with people.

_"One of them reopened an old scar, that is all."_

"That's what she meant," the Overlander mused.

"Are you alright, Gregor?" Emmett looked at him.

Shaking his head, Gregor pointed to the beheaded body on the ground. "Better off than that guy."


	16. Chapter 16

Gregor and the Hidden Prophecies

Chapter 16

Gregor's breath was labored, looking down at the enemy. "So are we going to attack them, or what?"

Nash, who was lying next to him, turned his head slightly. "Yeah. Let's get them."

"I was talking to Emmett." Gregor had his stomach pressed to Nike's back, his admirer next to him. The general was the same way on his bond.

"We are," Emmett breathed. "You feel it, don't you? Do not let it cloud your judgment."

Gregor didn't say anything. Now matter what the general said, he'd still want to kill the Shakers.

"How?" Nash asked.

"You will stay on Nike and the Hero will drop. You will fight better on the ground, right Gregor?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. Drop when I say. Nike and Eros will stay up high. We do not want anymore serious injuries or casualties."

The other two boys nodded as Nike swooped lower.

"Now, Overlander!"

Gregor dropped, landing on a large snake. Luxa's sword was sharper than his and sliced straight through. There were tons of Shakers to kill and Gregor was grateful for his blazer senses. Everything he did was filled with thought but his movements felt as thoughtless as breathing.

"Overlander!"

"Gregor!"

He halted what he was doing, realizing that was he was chopping up was already dead.

"They're all gone," Emmett explained, Eros flying close to ground. "Climb on."

Gregor got onto the Flier. "Where to now?"

"To bandage the boy," commented Emmett, nodding towards Nash. "Are you alright?"

"Fine. Just got a cut."

Emmett shook his head, mumbling about what he had to put up with. Gregor was coming down off his high and ignored him. They landed a few minutes later. Emmett wrapped Nash's wound before looking at the Hero.

"Are you injured, Overlander?"

"No, I'm fine."

Emmett nodded. "Good. Pretty successful with out all the others so far, eh?"

"I guess so," Gregor said with a shrug.

Emmett yawned loudly laying down on the ground. "Want first watch?"

Gregor sighed. "Alright, I guess."

* * *

Gregor had fallen asleep after trading post with Emmett. It felt like only a few minutes but in fact had to be a few hours. For when he opened his eyes, Emmett was next to him. The noise that woke him though, was across from him.

"Nash!" Gregor shot up, having to only crawl a few feet to get to his friend. "Emmett, get up!"

Emmett was up in moments. "What happened?"

Gregor didn't hear him, instead focusing on Nash and his slit throat. "Nash, what happened. Nash!"

The boy was trying to speak, which was evident from his mouth movements but all that came out were nearly silent gasps.

Gregor realized that Nash was a lost cause and realized that he had to find what had done this. He looked around, clicking his tongue, as they had no fire set that night.

"Overlander!" Emmett called after him as Gregor ran away, not really knowing where to go but running all the less. Nash…oh God. He felt his stomach lurch.

"Come out and face me!" He yelled at no one, at anyone. Whoever had just murdered his friend. "Coward! You cowards!"

"Overlander!" Emmett grabbed him from behind, wrapping his arms around the Hero's neck. "Stop, Gregor. He's gone."

"Get off me!" He pushed out of Emmett's hold. "Why was he alone? Why weren't you watching? You were supposed to be watching!"

"I was. But he asked for a chance to take watch and I gave it to him. I do not know why he didn't tell us someone was there. I don't know who it was, Overlander."

"You shouldn't have let him take watch."

"I was younger than he was when I-"

"I don't care!" Gregor pushed past Emmett, running back to where they were before. Eros and Nike both had their wings open, Eros looking at the dead boy, Nike not. Gregor felt sick, looking at his friend. He puked a little, trying to control himself.

"Need to leave?" Nike asked. Gregor didn't even think, just got onto the striped Flier and they took off.

"what could have done that?" He asked after a few minutes of silent flying. "Why?"

Nike didn't answer right away and Gregor thought she never would. After a moment, she seemed to find the answer she was looking for. "You let one of those men get away. Not that this is your fault but that seemed like a sword cut. Any other kind of creature would have killed the rest of us."

Gregor tried to absorb this information. No matter what Nike said, he let that Henry-look-a-like get away. This was his fault. "Why wouldn't Nash wake us if he saw someone coming near?"

Again, Nike took a moment to answer. "He wanted to impress you. In everything he did. Taking out an enemy…"

Gregor closed his eyes. "Let's go back."

"…Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Let's go get Emmett so that we can go kill some Shakers."

* * *

Gregor wasn't sure what to do with…Nash's body. Emmett seemed fine with just leaving it there and, in the end, that is what they did. Still, Gregor didn't feel right. They just left his body there to be eaten by whatever.

Right now, they were sitting near another part of the waterway, the Fliers resting their wings.

"He is gone, Gregor, but not forgotten. If we win this, he will be remembered as they boy that risked his life to help the all mighty Hero." Emmett gave him a small smiled.

Gregor didn't find that very appealing. "When this is all over, I'll be remembered as the Hero that gave his life for Regalia. That doesn't make me feel any better about dying."

Emmett kept staring at the water. "I lost my father when I was young. It was not fun, or right."

Gregor pulled his knees to his chest. "You losing your father is way worse than Nash dying, for me at least."

Emmett laughed a little. "Depends on how you look at it. Nash was the one that believed in you, more than anyone."

"Your father was like that for you?"

"…No. Not exactly." Emmett sighed. "It is complex. But I did lose that one person that believed in me too."

"Who?"

"…Do you know who King Abaddon is?"

Gregor glanced at him. "Only from when you mentioned him. The one who killed that Gnawer in front of you?"

Emmett nodded. "You know nothing else about him?"

Frowning, Gregor shook his head. "No."

Smiling slightly, Emmett looked at the Hero. "It is not important who is he is. I was just going to say that, when I was young and my father died, he believed in me, the way Nash did you."

"Did he not have his own children?"

Again, the general smirked. "It is not my place to speak. I would anger someone who would kill me for speaking of him."

"Who?"

"Nope, Overlander." Emmett stood up. "I am sure you will find out at some point."

"From who?"

"Again, I cannot tell you." Emmett went over to his Flier. "Come on then. Time to go find more Shakers."

* * *

"Are you alright?" Emmett called over to Gregor. The Overlander did not hear him, continuing to fight. Emmett, however, noticed an opened wound on the ex-ragers head. The general sighed, slashing through Slicers right and left. Once they were all gone, he finally was able to go over to Gregor.

"Are you alright?"

Gregor looked at him. "What?"

"Your head. It is bleeding."

Gregor touched his head, having not even felt it. "Oh. I don't feel it."

Emmett shook his head as Nike, who had the bag with medicine, flew over. "Thank you Nike."

The bat just nodded as Emmett went to work at cleaning Gregor's wound.

"Slicers still get you off like Shakers? Any kill, right?"

"Yeah…"

Emmett laughed a little. "Ah, the life of a blazer."

Gregor shook his head. "We still haven't found any Shakers."

"Funny, now that Luxa's gone, you're not fun."

More like now that Nash is gone…

Gregor moved away from him. "Let's go now."

Emmett frowned before getting onto Eros. As they took off, Nike asked, "How is your head, Overlander?"

"I don't even feel it."

"Is that normal for a blazer?"

"I don't know." He sighed. "Think that the others are back to Regalia by now?"

"I am sure. If not, the we must all pray for Howard and Hazard."

"Why?"

"Howard tricked Luxa into taking medicine." Nike laughed. "I think we all know what that means."

"Oh yeah." Gregor sighed. "When do we know if this is all over?"

"Over?"

"The Shakers."

Nike thought for a moment. "I do not know, Gregor."

The Overlander sighed. "I guess we-"

"In coming!" Yelled Emmett from a top his bond. "We are coming up on Shakers!"

Gregor dropped from Nike's back, landing on a snake. He sliced off it's head before moving to another one. He was in a blur, slicing off heads, getting covered in Shaker blood. He didn't care though. In this moment, he was exactly where he wanted to be. There wasn't his mom to yell at him, his sisters to keep safe, or even Luxa controlling everything. Here, there was only killing. Pure and simple. It was all great…until a Shaker pulled Eros out of the air by his neck. Emmett fell to the ground, hard. He was up in seconds, trying to save his bond but it was too late.

A growl left Emmett's mouth as he dove at Shaker after Shaker with as much fierceness as the Hero. It was good as a fight where you lose someone gets...Then Emmett got cocky. He tried to take on two at once. As he sliced into one snake, a smaller one bit him. Gregor was at his side in seconds, defending his friend. There seemed to be an endless number of Shakers. There was no way he could take them. His blazer sense had worn off, leaving him as a skilled fighter but not nearly as deadly. One of the snakes had sunken their teeth in him and he felt himself starting to fade.

Gregor had given up when he felt someone pick him up. His vision was blurry but he could make out that Henry looking guy. The guy carried him away from the fight before going back into it. He spoke to the Shakers, making them stop. Nike landed next to him but he was too weak to move. He passed out just as the Henry guy put him on a flier, Emmett on Nike. Oh God. They were so dead. Why wasn't Nike flying away? Is she injured?


	17. Chapter 17

Gregor and the Hidden Prophecies

Chapter 17

He didn't feel good. How do dead people feel? Was he in heaven? Would he see Ares, his grandmother? Or was the reincarnation stuff real? Would he be a squirrel? A dog? Another person? Great, he must be a baby.

Finally deciding to stop guessing and find out, Gregor opened his eyes. The last person he expected to see was over him.

"Luxa?"

She smiled at him. "Finally awake, Overlander?"

"Wh-"

"Good." Her eyes hardened, her face getting closer to his. Was she going to kiss him? "If you ever let him knock me out again, you will not be able to walk right, much less be able to fight again."

Guess he wasn't going to get a kiss… "How did I get back here?"

Luxa brightened a little but did not move away from him. "Eno brought you back. He has redeemed himself in the eyes of the eyes of the council."

"Who is Eno?"

Luxa sighed. "My brother."

"You have a brother?"

Luxa moved away from him. "He was sent away for…reasons. I have not seen him since I was a baby."

Gregor shook his head, unconcerned with that at the moment. "Luxa, this guy that we fought while we were in the Uncharted Lands, he killed Nash. He looked like Henry and was the one that took us-"

Luxa moved away even more, her face changing. "That is Eno."

Gregor frowned. "He killed Nash, then."

"No."

"Yeah, Lux, he did."

Luxa didn't even confront him on his name choice. "No. Why would he have saved you, then, Overlander?"

"I don't know! He tried to kill us-"

"No, stop it. He did not."

"Ask Emmett!"

Luxa looked away, making Gregor gasp.

"Is he-"

"No, he is living. Barely though He is in a coma. If it was not for Eno, you would both have died."

"Ask Nike then."

"She brought you back and did not mention anything."

"But-"

"Gregor, you have been through a lot." Luxa's eyes became soft again, the queen moving closer to him. "Why don't you rest and then worry about your…delusions."

"But-"

"Just stop, Gregor."

He sighed. "What about the Shakers? I did not kill them all."

Luxa smiled. "Eno has discussed things with them. They are coming to finish discussions as soon as you are well."

"Me?"

"Yes. They greatly fear you, Overlander."

"I-"

"Just rest, Gregor. There is nothing for you to do right now."

* * *

The next time he woke up, it was his parents waiting for him.

"Gregor."

"Hi Mom." He sat up. "Hey Dad."

His father smiled at him. "Feeling better, Gregor?"

He shrugged. "Where are Lizzie and Boots?"

"Off with that rat." His mother shook her head, hugging her son.

Deciding to get it over with, he asked, "When are we leaving?"

His father sighed. "Apparently they want you to stay until you are well and then until they can get peace with those snakes."

"Are we?"

Grace held in a look of annoyance. "Yes, I suppose we can."

Gregor smiled a little before frowning. "But then we have to leave? Back to Virginia?"

With not an ounce of hesitation in her, Grace nodded. "Yes."

"Ah! It is good to see that you are well, Overlander," greeted Howard as he strode into the room. He seemed to be in a better mood than he had since Gregor got to the Underland for what was seeming to be his last trip.

"Yeah. Good to see Luxa didn't kill you."

"She almost did. We were but mere minutes from Regalia when she awoke. What a life, huh?"

Howard did some checks on Gregor before going away. After a few more minutes, so did his parents. The ex-warrior knew that he was not to leave but he did anyways. He was searching for Nike when he ran into Luxa. She was with the…murderer. They were in a room, just the two of them, sitting at a table. He was talking to her as she listened, a rare look on her face. Delight. It had to be nice for her, to finally have a family member that is fully related to her. For a second, Gregor wondered what this meant as far as her queen status went but then he remembered Eno wouldn't be there long because the Hero was going to kill him.

"Gregor!" Luxa turned her smile onto him. "This is-"

"Murderer!" Gregor went at him.

Luxa got up, holding Gregor back. He could have easily overpowered her but didn't. For one, if he did and she got hurt, she would kill him. For another, he didn't have a sword. It was probably still out in the Uncharted Lands…along with Nash's body.

"Stop it, Overlander," Luxa hissed in his ear. He hated doing this to her, taking away her brother before she even had a chance to get to know him. However, his hatred for the man before him was much deeper.

"Overlander, I do not know what you speak of." Eno stood. "I saved you and your friend from the Shakers and have brought peace between them and the people of Regalia."

"Yeah after you killed Nash and tried to kill Luxa!"

Luxa slackened slightly. "What?"

Eno's face never changed, still as charming as ever. "You must be mistaken, Overlander. Maybe the venom is getting to you from that bite you suffered. You and Emmett were lucky that I carry anti-venom around with me, incase I encounter something myself."

Gregor paled. "He gave us something? No wonder Emmett's in a coma!"

Luxa removed herself from Gregor, realizing he had no weapon. "Overlander, you must not remember correctly-"

"I remember just fine." He looked at the queen. "Ask Nike. She'll tell you."

"I did, as soon as you told me. She said that you say you saw him before and so did Emmett but she did not."

Gregor gapped at her. "Luxa why would I lie?"

Eno's looked at the queen. "Luxa, I have agreed to meet with members of the council. I must go."

She nodded, letting him walk away. Gregor was still glaring at her. "How can you believe him over me, Luxa?"

She shook her head. "It is not that simple, Overlander."

"But-"

"Come, let's get you another sword. We do not need you without a sword."

"Yeah because of your brother."

She ignored him, walking out of the room. He sighed, before following.

* * *

"Why didn't you have to go with him to see the council?"

Luxa didn't look at him. "He is a very close relative. Any opinion I give is biased."

'Will it be that way when you are queen?"

"No. I make all rulings then."

"What happens now?"

"With what?"

"Assuming that they let a murderer stay here, will he get to be king?"

Luxa shook her head before laying it on her knees, which were pulled tightly to her chest. "No. He committed a crime against Regalia. He is never allowed to hold a title of anything. He should not be coming back and, if he had not saved your life, he would not."

"He didn't save anything. He just killed."

Sighing, she finally looked at him. "Did you see him kill Nash?"

Her question caught him off guard. "What?"

"Did you see him? I know you say that you fought him but did you see him kill Nash? Nike said that was on another night."

"Well no, I didn't see him," admitted Gregor. "But it was him! I know it."

"Then why would he have saved you, Gregor?"

This question had stumped Gregor at first but after much thought, finally clicked in his head. "To get back here and kill you."

"What purpose would that serve?"

"I don't know!"

"Then you don't know anything."

Gregor looked out at the city. They were on top of one of the buildings, hiding out. From what? Nothing, everything. Neither was sure.

"What happened to him?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why did he have to leave?"

Luxa didn't answer for a moment. "He killed a few people."

And she still didn't believe him? "What?"

"I do not know all the details. But Judith and Abaddon spared his light. They sent in to live on his own when he was eight-"

"Did you say Abaddon?"

Luxa glanced at him. "Yes."

"King Abaddon is your father?"

She nodded slightly. "Yes. Why?"

He started a word but stopped. "No reason."

She sighed. "You are remembering what Emmett said, about him dismembering the Gnawer?"

No. He was actually thinking about what Emmett said to him when they were alone. "Yeah."

"He was not as bloodthirsty as others might make him appear."

It was silent for a few minutes before Gregor asked, "Why did your brother kill those people?"

Luxa stood up and with a wave of her hand Aurora appeared. "Are you coming back down?"

"Are you not going to answer my question?"

Luxa got back onto her bond. "Yes or no, Overland?"

He slowly got up, getting onto Aurora with her. "Luxa, I don't care what you think but he did kill Nash. And when Emmett wakes up, he'll agree with me."

Luxa didn't answer. It was a short flight to the High Halls. Once they were there, Gregor started walking off.

"Where are you going?"

"To find someone."

Luxa let him go. It wasn't long before he found Nike. She was with Howard, both eating.

"Nike, I need to talk to you."

The usually cheerful Flier nodded at him. "I thought you would."

Howard stood up. "I have duties to get back to. I shall see you later, Nike."

He walked away, leaving them alone. Gregor stood before the bat. "Why did you lie to Luxa?"

"I did not lie to her." The bat seemed uncomfortable. "I did not see Eno. On the way back, he told me about his life there. I do not think that he means bad. I only told Luxa what I saw. She can interrupt whatever from it."

"He killed Nash and you know it."

"I told her that I believed that too. I only let him and his bond take us back because there was no way for me to do it alone."

Gregor shook his head. "He's up to something. He's going to hurt either me or Luxa."

Nike nodded. "I have told her what I think, Gregor. I can do no more."

* * *

Gregor crossed his arms, leaning against the wall behind him. Luxa was in front of him, talking. Once she finished, he spoke.

"I am not going anywhere to meet with the Shakers. Not with him."

Luxa sighed. "Gregor you will not be alone with Eno. He cannot hurt you-"

"I am not worried about me, Lux. I'm trying to tell you that if I go anywhere near that murderer, I will be one too."

She huffed. "You are going, Overlander. It is not a choice."

"You can't make me go."

"Yes I can."

"Wanna bet?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Gregor, we need you to do this. This is the only way to get them to take us seriously. We need you there."

"Why does he have to be there?"

"Because he can translate."

"So you need me and him?"

Luxa closed her eyes. "Yes, Gregor."

"Which one more?"

"What?"

"Would it be better if I was there or him?"

"Overlander, I do not-"

"Chose."

Opening her eyes only to glare at him, she said, "Because of his ability to translate, him."

"Good. I can go home then."

Luxa sighed. "Gregor, I do not feel like arguing. You are going."

"If they are so afraid of me, why do you need me there?"

"For protection. You are our best fighter," She smiled at him, as if it would just wash away the fact that she was defending Nash's killer.

"Then I guess you're all going to die because I'm not going."

Luxa took a deep breath. "Gregor, you do not even have to talk to him. You can just-"

"No, Luxa, I'm not doing it!"

"Fine," she snapped back. "I will arrange for a Flier to take you and your family back tonight. Have a nice life, Overlander."

* * *

Of course he went. Of course, Luxa had to sit there with a smug look on her face about the whole thing. At least she let him ride with her. There is some kindness in her cold, dark heart. Perdita and another soldier that Gregor did not know the name of accompanied them on the short trip. The others being there meant that Gregor and Luxa were not touching for once. Not that he wanted to be touching her at the moment…

"We are approaching," Aurora told them.

Luxa glanced behind her at Gregor. "Do _not _cause a fight that is not there."

"You know, you are really starting to annoy me."

"Good."

When they landed, neither was talking to each other. A huge Shaker slithered over, speaking in his cryptic language. Eno stepped forward.

"He asked for land back," the man translated.

The other soldier said, "Isn't he straight forward?"

Gregor stood back, arms crossed. He wanted nothing to do with any of this.

"Their land is being used now," said Perdita. "They cannot have it back."

Eno communicated this back before looking at Luxa. "He says that if you do not give it back, they will attack Regalia."

She glanced at Perdita before realizing this response was left to her. "We will be ready for them. The Digger's have agreed to help us and we also have the Hero. We are unfazed by the threat."

_But you don't have the Hero_, thought Gregor. He said nothing though. Luxa could do what she wanted. Pretty soon, it won't matter. He'll never see her again after he goes back home. He had today and tomorrow down here before he had to leave it behind forever.

Eno went back and forth with the Shaker for a moment before facing them again. "He wants to know what you are willing to give them."

"Protection. The Gnawers are in search of good land. Now that they know there is a waterway out there, they believe it would be better for them out there. Unless they want a war with the Gnawers, they should agree."

They went back and forth for awhile. Gregor stopped listening because, during the middle, the bloodlust took over him. He was having to control himself from attacking Eno. It would be so easy. One movement of his sword and his head would come clean off. He could probably get back to the Overland without having to deal with-

Luxa was close enough to him that it wasn't hard for her to kick behind her and hit him in the shin. He frowned before looking up from the ground to see that Perdita was looking at him. He must have been mumbling under his breath. The others were too far away to have heard but the two females had. Gregor shut up but the thoughts did not leave his mind for one moment. In the end, the king of the Shakers agreed. He nodded at Luxa before slithering away. Once he was out of sight, Eno faced her.

"Congratulations, little sister. You did well."

Luxa smiled slightly. "Thank you."

"Too bad you won't make it back to celebrate." He lunged at her but Gregor was one step ahead of him. He knew Luxa could have easily fended the man off but he wouldn't let her take the satisfaction of doing so himself away from him.

Gregor thought that the others would step in and help him kill Eno but they didn't. This was his job and his alone. Eno was better with a sword than Gregor expected. The Hero knew that he could just let his blazer side take over completely and it would end faster. But he didn't. He wanted to be conscious for this, to be able to recount it later when memories of the Underland faded, when Nash's name was hard to remember. He wanted this feeling to last forever.

Somehow, Gregor ended up with Eno on the ground. He put one foot on the man, his blade ready to slice through his neck, like he had envisioned.

"You are stronger than I thought," Eno's commented with a smile. "Aren't you going to do it? Kill me already."

Gregor shook his head. Suddenly, he had realized something. "If I did that, I would be you."

With that, Gregor cut off the hand Eno held his sword in. The man screamed in agony but Gregor didn't hear him. All he heard was Nash's voice in his head.

_"Because, Hemera died because we came here. If I go back now, she'll have died for nothing."_

Nash didn't die for nothing. He died for a reason, just like everyone else does. The only probably was that Gregor wasn't sure the reason just yet. Staring at the man, he decided that he would find out that reason, if only to honor his biggest fan.


	18. Chapter 18

Gregor and the Hidden Prophecies

Chapter 18

After they got back, they all went their separate ways. Perdita went with the medics as they wheeled away Eno, the soldier disappeared, and Luxa mumbled something to him before running away from him. Gregor was covered in blood. He went to bath and, after that, he realized he hadn't even checked on Emmett.

They had gotten rescued almost a week ago now by Eno and Gregor had been awake for about three. The first was spent with Luxa, the second arguing about going, the next was this one. This bloody, bittersweet day. Gregor was on his way to the hospital area when he ran into Ripred.

"Well, well, well." The rat looked over Gregor. "You chopped off a hand of royalty. How do you feel? Personally, I would have gone for the annoying, girl one but hey."

Gregor shook his head, not even wanting to deal with Ripred at the moment. "Have you heard anything about Emmett?"

The rat sobered up. "He has awakened but does not remember the past few weeks."

"Will he be okay?"

"It's iffy but I'm sure he'll bounce back." Ripred laughed. "Not that that's a good thing."

Looks like old Ripred is back…not that he was gone but ten seconds. Gregor shook his head. "Have you seen my sisters?"

"They are with that Halflander boy, in the royal wing."

Gregor nodded before going off to find them. When he got to Hazard's room, Lizzie and he were fighting.

"And?"

"And…you're stupid."

"You're stupid."

Ah, the wittiness of children.

"Stop it," said Luxa from Hazard's bed. She had a scroll in front of her, studying it intently.

"Hi Gregor!" Boots called to her big brother. "Come play?"

Luxa looked up but only for a second. Lizzie smiled at her brother, stopping her fight with Hazard.

"Hi Gregor."

"Hey." He sat at the edge of the bed. "Hey Luxa."

She didn't speak for a second. "I am busy."

He shrugged, laying down. "I'll wait."

Luxa sighed, looking at him. "What do you want?"

He shrugged. "I don't always want something."

"Y-"

"But, you know what I do want?"

"What?"

"For you to say that I was right."

Luxa frowned. "This is not something to brag about being right about."

"It's not like I killed-"

"Go away, Overlander."

"Luxa, how can you be mad at me?"

She looked down at him. "If you had just killed him, it would have been easier."

"How?"

Luxa didn't answer. Instead, she just got up and left the room.

* * *

Gregor was training, just to get the feeling of holding a sword out of his system before he left. After tomorrow, he'll never hold a sword again. Howard was the one who was helping him train. Besides them and Nike, the arena was empty for once. They had been there for an hour when Aurora and Luxa showed up. Luxa got off her bond, going over to them.

Howard looked at her. "What is it, Luxa?"

"Nothing." She looked at Gregor. "But your father is here, along with your mother."

"Stellovet?"

"Yes."

Howard put his sword away. "Are we done here, Overlander?"

He nodded, letting the medic go. After Nike and him left, Gregor looked at Luxa.

"What?"

She shrugged. "I came to get Howard."

"Right."

Luxa rolled her eyes. "Are you done training?"

He shrugged. "Why?"

"Because I am going back."

He sighed, putting his sword back. "I-"

"Unless you want me to help you train."

Gregor looked at her. "You?"

"Why do you sound so shocked?"

"I could easily-"

"I offered to help you train, do drills." Luxa glared at him. "And no, you could not. I would never lose to you."

"Oh really?"

Luxa drew her sword. "Really."

Gregor went easy on her. For one, the only other option was going blazer on her and that was out of the question. The second reason being if he beat her quickly, Luxa would get mad at him. He did beat her in the end though.

He held out his hand to her to help her up from the ground. "Here."

She didn't take his hand, instead standing on her own. "That was luck."

"Right." Gregor shook his head. "Anyways, now what?"

She put her sword back before going over to Aurora. "Come on."

Gregor got behind her. "Are you mad at me?"

"For?"

"Kicking your butt."

She elbowed him gently. "I told you, it was luck."

"Okay." He laid his head on her shoulder, hands around her waist. They landed in the High Halls a minute later. They were headed back to the royal part of the palace when they ran into his parents.

"Gregor," his mother hugged him, hard. "I heard you had to fight that guy."

"Yeah." He watched Luxa continue down the hall without him. He let her go. "So we're leaving tomorrow?"

"Yes." His mother let him go. "Then, the day after we will be headed to Virginia."

"You already have everything packed?"

"Yes."

Gregor held in a sigh. This was real. They were leaving.

* * *

It was an hour or two after dinner when Gregor was finally alone. His sisters and parents were both in bed as were most people. Gregor went to find Luxa, in hopes that she too weren't asleep. He went to Hazard's room first. Boots and Hazard were both sleeping in his bed. Gregor felt slightly bad over the fact Boots hadn't even seen Temp since the jungle. He heard something in the room next to Hazard's and went to see what it was. Luxa was on the floor, going through a dresser drawer, her back to the door. Gregor stood there for a few minutes, watching her.

"I know that you are there, Overlander."

"What are you doing?"

"Looking for something."

He walked into the room, standing behind her. "What?"

She sighed, standing. Walking out of the room with out answering his question, Luxa went into another, bigger room. Gregor followed her, curious.

"Is this your room?" He asked jumping onto the bed, just to piss her off.

"No." Luxa sat started going through a dresser in there too. "It is my parents."

"Oh."

Luxa sighed. "The Gnawer's screwed everything up. They made a mess of everything."

Gregor got off of the bed. "What are you looking for?"

"It is not import- oh! Here it is." She turned to face him, a ring in her hand.

"What's that?"

Luxa ran a finger over it. "It was my fathers."

"Wedding ring?"

Luxa looked at him. "No. We do not have those."

"Then what was it for?"

"It is just a ring. It is the only thing that I have of his."

"Oh."

Luxa shrugged. "It is nothing."

She moved closer to him. "Tomorrow, we shall take you to the stairwell."

"Yeah." Gregor looked down. "I'll never see you again."

"No, Gregor. You are in more prophecies."

He rolled his eyes. "Luxa, you don't really believe in those, do you?"

Frowning, she nodded. "Yes. They are truth, Overlander."

"No. I'm gone Luxa, just except it."

She looked away for a moment. "You really think that?"

"Yeah."

"I don't."

"Yes you do. You know you have to."

Luxa sighed, looking at the ring. "I'll prove to you that I think that you'll come back."

"How?"

She grabbed his hand, opening it. She laid the ring in it. "There."

He looked up at her. "Luxa, I can't-"

"You will give it back to me when you come back."

"I'm not going to."

She shrugged, stepping away. "I believe you will."

"Lux I can't take this."

"You won't keep it. You will return it when you come back," Luxa insisted.

He closed his hand around the ring. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

He put the ring in his pocket. "Alright."

Luxa hugged him then. Against his chest, she mumbled, "I'll miss you."

The Hero hugged her back. "I'll miss you too."

Luxa leaned up, kissing him gently. "I love you."

"Yeah, I love you too."

Luxa laughed a little. "Have fun in Virginia."

Gregor smirked. "Hey, you remembered the name."

"Yes." She smiled a little.

They moved away from each other. Gregor sighed. "I guess I should go now."

Luxa nodded. "Sleep well, Overlander."

"Yeah." He walked out of the door. What was he going to do about the ring? He couldn't keep it, could he? Gregor went into Hazard's room and laid the ring on the dresser. He couldn't stand himself if he took that from her.

* * *

The morning of the day they were leaving, Luxa was nowhere to be found. After breakfast, she showed up…with Temp. Boots squealed with excitement.

"Temp!" She crawled onto the Crawler's back. "Hi Temp."

"Happy, the princess is, happy?"

"Yes!" Boots ran a hand down the Crawler's head.

Gregor laughed a little as Luxa walked over to him. "You're not as cold as you seem."

Luxa rolled her eyes. "I suppose I should take that as a complement."

"It would be nice if you would."

"You will be leaving in an hour."

"Yeah."

She started walking away, Gregor following. "Where are you going?"

"I need to find out if York is still here."

"Why?"

She looked at him. "After you leave, you I need to talk to him about rebuilding The Fount."

"Oh." He took her hand, holding it. "So, how's Emmett?"

"He is good."

"His memory-"

"Is still scrambled." Luxa sighed. "He will recover though."

"Hey Lux?"

"What?"

"Why does Eno look so much like Henry?"

She sighed. "It is not that he looks like Henry as much as he looks like my father's father."

Gregor started at their interlaced hands. "Did you think that when I almost killed him about what Nerissa said? About someone close to you dying?"

Luxa shook her head. "I guess."

"Is that what you meant by it would have been easier?"

"Yes."

"How's your head?"

"You mean from the Slicer attack?"

Gregor nodded.

"It is better. And your bite?"

"I'm a blazer, remember? I am all healed."

"Whatev-" Luxa stopped herself.

"You said it."

"I did not."

"Sure you didn't, Lux."

"Stop calling me that!"

He chuckled. "You're cute when you're mad."

She withdrew her hand from his. "Be quiet."

"What? You are."

"Whatever."

"God, you're so unintelligent."

Luxa just rolled her eyes.

* * *

"Hello Gregor," greeted Vikus as he walked into the room. "It is good to see you well."

"Yeah, you too." Gregor smiled at the older man. "Guess God was feeling like premitting today, huh?"

Vikus chuckled. "I suppose he was. How are you?"

"Good. You?"

"As best as I can be."

Gregor looked at Vikus. "Why did Eno try to kill Luxa?"

Vikus sighed. "I cannot answer all questions, Gregor."

"You can this one."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you were talking to him the other day."

Vikus frowned. "When?"

"Yesterday, while he was in the hospital."

Vikus sighed. "You have found me out."

It wasn't hard, considering that it was Howard who told him. "Why were you talking to him?"

"They are going to execute him."

Gregor's skin turned pallor in color. "What?"

The man nodded. "He tried to kill their queen. No one takes that lightly."

"But, I spared him."

"A very noble thing of you to do, Gregor. I am sure that it would have been easy for you to just kill him." Vikus smiled. "I have always thought that it is not being a blazer or rager that makes one a killer, it is how they handle being what they are."

Gregor shook his head. "Why did he try kill Luxa though?"

"For revenge."

"What?"

Laughing a little, Vikus shook his head. "I cannot explain it to you, Gregor. Somethings mean more when you find them out on your own."

"But-"

"I will tell you this though," continued Vikus. "He was the one to kill Nash, as a message."

Gregor felt sick. What that the reason Nash died? For a message? There had to be some different, deeper reason right? Vikus noticed the look on his face.

"You know, had Nash not been killed, you would have surely kill Eno, would you have not? You spared his life to not be like him."

Gregor nodded slightly. Maybe Nash died so that Gregor could prove that he was still human. Maybe not.

"Goodbye Gregor the Overlander."

He looked at the man that had helped him so much through out the time he had been coming to the Underland. It sucked to know that he, along with a lot of others, were people that Gregor would jsut have to put into memory. "Bye."

* * *

After telling Vikus bye, Gregor went out to the docks, where his family was waiting. Aurora, Nike, and a bat Gregor did not know were taking them to the stairwell. Hazard was there, frowning.

"Say goodbye, Hazard," Luxa prompted.

"Bye everyone…except Lizzie."

Lizzie ignored him, instead hugging Ripred. "Bye Ripred."

The rat was in a surprisingly jolly mood. "Bye Lizzie."

Boots was on top of Temp and made looked sad. "Bye Temp. I see you soon."

"See princess again, Temp will, see princess again."

Emmett was there, which shocked Gregor. He smiled at the Hero, giving him a slight bow. "It was an honor to accompany you on a mission…whether I remember it or not."

Luxa rolled her eyes. "You should get going, should you not?"

Gregor frowned. "You're not taking us back?"

"I can't. I have business to attend to." She hugged Gregor. "Bye."

"Wait, what do you have to do?"

"I have to talk to York."

"Why can't you after?"

Luxa let him go. "I have other things too."

"Like what?"

Emmett put his hand on Gregor shoulder. "Come on, Gregor. You're riding with me."

"Luxa-"

"I just have things to do. I will see you later."

"Never." His mother mumbled as Howard helped her get on Nike.

Gregor's dad shook his head, climbing onto the stripped princess. "Good bye, Luxa. You have been very helpful."

She nodded at him before picking up Boots. She sat her on the bat Gregor did not know.

"Bye-bye Luxa." Boots smiled. "See you soon too!"

Lizzie stuck her tongue out at Hazard before getting onto Nike. Gregor rolled his eyes, getting onto the bat he did no know, as did Emmett. Luxa watched them take off, her arms crossed, that signature arrogant look on her face. Something seemed to click on her face and she reached into her pocket.

"Overlander!" She called out. Gregor smiled. Clearly she had decided to go with them. Instead, she just threw something into the air, amid for the bat Gregor was on. Luxa must have been good at throwing because Gregor caught it easily. It was the ring. How did she know that he left it?

Everyone looked at him but only Emmett understood what it was. He smiled a little.

"I would hold onto that, Overlander. If you lose it, she'll kill you."

"Yeah," mumbled Gregor as he held the ring in his hands. "If I tried to get you to give it back to her, you wouldn't take it, would you?"

"No but for other reasons than you believe. If she knew that I even touched that ring, she would kill me also."

Gregor cracked a smile. Even though he knew that in what seemed like only a few minutes, he would be away from the place he had come to love, come to think of as home forever, he found the thought of Luxa killing both him and Emmett funny. "Must be some ring."

"Must be."

* * *

**Complete. Wow. I finished in under a year. Score.**


End file.
